•'      --•»"  v"'1  *:- t      <-.    •,'-  -•-      , 

.!..,:. 


A  FR/CA 


ANDERSSON 


& 


NOTES    OF    TRAVEL 


• 


SOUTH-WESTERN  AF 


BY 
C.  J.  ANDERSSON, 

AUTHOR  OF  "LAKE  NGAMI,"  "THE  OKAVANGO  RIVER,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


NEW    YORK: 
G.    P.   PUTNAM'S   SONS, 

FOURTH   AVENUE  AND   TWENTY-THIRD   STREET. 
1875. 


PREFACE. 


I 


N  the  preface  to  Andersson's  recent  work,  "  The  Lion 
and  the  Elephant,"  edited  by  myself,  it  was  stated 
that,  if  well  received  by  the  public,  I  should  probably 
give  out  other  of  his  Memoranda  in  my  possession,  re 
lating  to  his  more  recent  Travels ;  and  as  the  above- 
named  work  has  proved  a  success,  I  now  proceed  to  fulfil 
my  promise. 

Owing,  however,  to  severe  illnesses,  brought  on  by 
the  hardships  Andersson  underwent  during  his  early 
travels  ;  to  wounds  inflicted  by  wild  beasts,  and  to  his 
broken  fortunes,  which  compelled  him  to  devote 'the 
greater  part  of  his  time  to  mercantile,  instead  of,  as 
heretofore,  to  scientific  pursuits,  he  was  in  a  great  degree 
prevented  from  following  up  his  explorations  in  un 
known  lands,  and  hunting  the  Elephant,  and  other 
denizens  of  the  forest,  as  in  by-gone  days.  Hence  the 
reader  of  these  pages  must  not  expect  to  find  in  them 
quite  so  many  stirring  adventures  by  flood  and  field,  as 
are  recorded  in  his  earlier  publications,  viz.  :  "  Lake 


321735 


iv  PREFACE. 

Ngami,"  and  "  The  Okavango  River."  Had  he,  however, 
lived  to  explore  the  countries  to  the  north  of  the  River 
Cunen£  (at  present  comparatively  little  known  in  Eng 
land),  as  was  his  full  purpose,  he  would,  no  doubt,  have 
had  much  to  narrate  of  both  a  new  and  interesting  na 
ture  ;  but,  unhappily,  on  his  reaching  the  ban'ks  of  that 
stream  the  hand  of  death  was  upon  him,  and  a  few  days 
afterward  he  ceased  to  exist. 

This  volume,  nevertheless, -contains  matter  that  it  is 
hoped  will  afford  both  interest  and  amusement  to  the 
reader.  Among  the  rest,  his  graphic  description  of  the 
great  battle  between  the  "  Namaquas  "  and  the" Da- 
maras,"  the  latter  of  whom  he  commanded  in  person,  and 
in  which  he  was  so  severely  wounded  as  to  be  rendered 
a  cripple  during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

Then  again,  his  account  of  the  "  Ovambo,"  a  primi 
tive  tribe,  bordering  on  the  Portuguese  settlement  of 
Benguela,  is  well  deserving  of  perusal. 

His  remarks,  also,  on  the  South  Africa  Missionaries, 
whom  no  traveller  had  better  opportunities  of  becoming 
intimately  acquainted  with  than  Andersson,  will,  I  feel 
assured,  interest  not  a  few. 

The  like  may  be  said  as  to  his  observations  on  the 
so  called  "lung-sickness"  which  annually  carries  off  so 
many  animals,  both  wild  and  tame,  in  South  Africa  ; 
(this  the  rather,  as  he  himself  was  not  only  possessed 
of  vast  herds  of  horned  cattle,  but  was  a  great  sufferer 
by  the  epidemic  in  question — having  lost  two  thousand 


PREFACE.  V 

head — and,  in  consequence,  his  remarks  will  carry  due 
weight  with  them),  for  as  this  disorder  may  not  im 
probably  bear  some  affinity  to  the  "  Rinderpest,"  which 
of  late  years  has  so  ravaged  England  and  other  Euro 
pean  countries,  it  is  very  possible  some  useful  hints,  as 
to  the  proper  treatment  of  the  latter,  may  be  gained 
from  learning  the  remedies  usually  had  recourse  to  for 
the  "  lung-sickness "  in  Damaraland  and  adjacent  re 
gions. 

The  chapter  on  "Game  Birds"  of  the  country  will 
also  probably  prove  acceptable  to  the  reader,  of  such,  at 
least,  as  are  either  sportsmen  or  naturalists.  Of  other 
African  birds  I  have  not  ventured  to  speak,  for  the  rea 
son,  that  Mr.  John  Henry  Gurney  has  recently  published 
an  abridgment  of  Andersson's  great  projected  work — 
the  "  Avi  Fauna  of  South  Africa  "—under  the  title  of 
"  The  Birds  of  Damaraland,"  to  which  valuable  publi 
cation  I  beg  to  refer  the  ornithologist  for  information 
respecting  the  rest  of  the  feathered  tribe. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  add  that,  among  numerous 
other  papers,  Andersson  left  behind  him  "  Notices  of 
several  of  the  Quadrupeds  indigenous  to  Damaraland 
and  neighboring  countries."  These  "  Notices  "  it  was 
my  intention,  at  first,  to  insert  when  opportunity  offered 
in  present  work ;  but  on  reflection  it  struck  me  that  such 
constant  references  to  matters  relating  to  Natural  His 
tory  would  greatly  have  tended  to  distract  the  attention 
of  the  reader  from  the  Narrative  itself,  and  I  have  there- 


VI  PREFACE. 

fore  thought  it  best — with  the  exception  of  a  single 
chapter  on  the  Leopard  and  its  congeners —  to  exclude 
them  (the  "  Notices  ")  altogether ;  though  not  without 
hopes,  at  some  future  time,  of  submitting  them  to  the 
public. 

THE  EDITOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  explorer  transformed  into  the  proprietor  of  a  large  trading  estab 
lishment — Important  journey — Wilhelm  Zwartbooi — David  Christian 
— Alarm  caused  by  lung-disease  in  cattle — Disputed  right  of  way — 
Damaralantl  traders — Stopped  on  our  journey  by  Namaquas — Cour 
age  and  determination  of  my  wife — Cattle-lifting — Pursuit  of  the 
robbers — Caught  in  a  trap — F.  Green's  coolness  in  danger — Insolent 
messages — Sale  of  my  cattle I 

CHAPTER  II. 

Jonker  Afrikaner — Visit  to  David  Christian — Arrogant  conduct  of  a 
Hottentot — Ruffianly  attack — Fatal  error  committed  by  my  op 
ponent — Tragical  incident — In  the  presence  of  death — My  wife's 
courage — Reputation  of  the  author  in  Africa — Daniel  Cloete — 
Inquiry  into  the  death  of  my  Hottentot  assailant — Decision — Return 
to  Otjimbingue 14 

CHAPTER  III. 

Game  birds  of  South  Africa — The  Kori  bustard — Rufous-crested  bustard — 
Rupell's  bustard — Cape  Knorhaan  bustard — Cape  guinea-fowls — • 
Great  travellers — The  chasse — Swainson's  Francolin — Double- 
banded  sand-grouse — Variegated  sand-grouse — Harlequin  quail — 
Little  quail — Painted  snipe — Common  snipe — Jack  snipe  and 
woodcock 28 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Vultures — Power  of  scenting  their  prey  at  a  distance — Sir  Samuel 
Baker's  theory — Extraordinary  field  of  vision — Waterton's  theory — 


viii  CONTENTS. 

Andersson's  theory— The  Marabou  stork — The  ostrich — New  spe 
cies — Chase  of  ostriches  by  Namaquas — Pursuit  of  ostriches  on 
horseback— Hottentot  expedient  for  carrying  off  ostrich  eggs. ...  47 


CHAPTER  V. 

Harassing  period  of  my  life — Kamaherero  and  his  tribe — Power  of  the 
Namaquas — Wretched  condition  of  the  enslaved  tribe — Rising  of 
the  Damaras — Visit  of  Philippus,  son  of  a  Damara  chief— Upright 
conduct  of  the  Damaras — Rumors — Treachery  of  the  Namaquas — 
Alarm  at  Otjimbingue— Battle  and  victory  of  the  Damaras — Death 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Kleinschmidt 60 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Flight  of  the  Namaquas — Alarming  rumors — Frederick  Green — Plan  to 
surprise  the  Hottentot  head-quarters — A  treacherous  European — 
Spoil  taken  from  the  Namaquas — Return  of  the  victors  to  Otjim 
bingue — Thrown  into  arrears — Attack  of  ophthalmia — Dangerous 
trust — Sad  calamity — The  cry  of  vengeance — Victoria  Falls 74 


CHAPTER  VII. 

An  Irish  Munchausen — Rehoboth — Preparations  for  our  expedition 
against  the  Namaquas — Wilhelm  Zwartbooi — Conflicting  accounts 
of  the  position  of  the  enemy — Last  acts  before  the  fight — A  disap 
pointment — Severe  example — Daring  act  committed  by  Hotten 
tots — Successful  flank  movement — Severely  wounded — Precarious 
position 87 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

After  the  battle. — Immense  capture  of  sheep  and  cattle — Folly  and  inca 
pacity  of  the  Damaras — The  Rehobothians — Rev.  Mr.  Kleinschmidt 
— Arrival  at  Barmen  missionary  station — Rev.  Mr.  Hahn — Suffer 
ings  from  my  wound — Rev.  Mr.  Kleinschmidt's  change  of  station — 
The  Rehobothians  attacked  by  the  Namaquas — Sufferings  of  the 
unfortunate  tribe 106 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Severity  of  my  wound — Arrival  of  my  wife — Long  and  painful  illness  at 
Otjimbingue — Study  of  ornithology — Relations  with  Baines — Dis 
covery  of  a  new  species  of  falcon — Description  of  Andersson's  perm— 

Machserhampus   Alcinus Other   specimens — Difference   of    two 

species 118 

CHAPTER  X. 

Proceed  to  Cape  Town — Surgical  advice — Cape  Town  Museum  and 
Library — Mr.  Layard — Avi-fauna  of  Damaraland — Axel  Ericson — 
Accumulation  of  misfortunes — Propose  to  return  to  Damaraland — 
Return  to  Otjimbingue — Wild  and  desolate  aspect  of  the  country — 
The  Welwitchia 127 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Defeat  of  Hottentots — Fall  of  a  lawless  marauder — Letter  to  the  editor 
of  the  "  Cape  Town  Mail  and  Advertiser" — Escape  from  shipwreck — 
Samuel,  the  Freebooter — Mr.  Green's  advance  to  the  Cunene — Re 
newed  disturbances — Great  loss  of  produce — A  new  way  to  pay  old 
debts — Letter  to  Jan  Jonker — Jacobus  Boyce 136 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Scarcity  of  wild  beasts  near  Otjimbingue — The  leopard — Its  resorts  and 
food — Manner  of  surprising  its  prey — Wonderful  bound — Accident 
to  Axel — African  boer — Out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire — Anders- 
son's  adventure — Temerity  of  the  leopard — The  chasse — Dogs — 
The  chetah — How  it  hunts — The  wild  cat — Andersson's  letter  . .  152 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Departure  of  elephant-hunters  for  Ondonga — Accident  to  Andersson — 
Departure  for  Ovampo  Land — Arrival  at  Jacongava — Omapjee — 
Wild  dogs  and  koodoo — Remarkable  flowers — Huge  snake  killed — A 
gemsbok  shot — Wagon  stuck  fast  in  the  mud — Bushmen  come  to 
bivouac — Arrival  in  Ovampo  Land — Escape  of  Andersson's  people 
from  Samuel 180 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Chykongo — Appearance  of  the  country — Description  of  the  homestead — 
The  chiefs  werft — The  soil — Agriculture — Times  of  scarcity — Fruit 
trees — Minerals — The  flora  and  fauna — Ichthyology — Domestic 
animals — The  inhabitants — Their  amusements — Religion  and 
superstition — Attack  on  Mr.  Hahn's  party 204 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Lung-sickness — Symptoms  of  the  disease — Inoculation  said  to  be  a  pre 
ventive — The  virus — Inoculation  not  always  effective — Cure  of  the 
disease — Periods  at  which  horses  are  liable  to  be  attacked — Flesh 
of  infected  cattle — Refutation  of  Dr.  Livingstone — Origin  of  the  dis 
ease  unknown 226 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Ovampoland — Missionary  labor — Rev.  Mr.  Hahn's  reception — Prospects 
of  success — Difficulties  to  contend  with — Civilization  and  Evangel 
ization — Deceitfulness  of  the  native  character — Labors  of  the  mis 
sionary — Enthusiasm  in  Germany 236 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Prevalence  of  sickness — Despatch  of  ivory  to  Otjimbingue — Departure  of 
elephant  hunters — Study  of  Portuguese — Attack  of  fever — Birds  shot 
by  natives  with  arrows — Goat  carried  off  by  a  hyena — Ophthalmia — 
Samuel  attacked  by  the  Damaras — New  species  of  stork — Visit  to 
Chykongo — Dr.  Livingstone — A  thief  caught  in  the  act 249 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Start  for  the  River  Cunene — Arrival  at  Nauma's  werft — Ugly  women — 
Extraordinary  spectacle — Author's  life  endangered — Singular  hair- 
dressing — Hyenas  troublesome — The  iron  mine — Typandeka's  hos 
pitality —  A  great  misfortune — Reach  the  Cunene — Altercation  with 
ferry-men 278 


CONTENTS.  Xl' 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Premonitions  of  death — Axel  Ericson's  account  of  Andersson's  last 
days — Extreme  sufferings — Death  of  the  traveller — Notice  of  his 
career  and  death  in  the  "  Cape  Town  Mail " — General  regret  in 
Sweden  —  Recognition  of  his  merits  as  a  Discoverer  —  In  Me- 
moriam 308 


NOTES    OF    TRAVEL. 


CHAPTER   I. 

The  explorer  transformed  into  the  proprietor  of  a  large  trading  estab 
lishment — Important  journey — Wilhelm  Zwartbooi — David  Christian 
— Alarm  caused  by  lung-disease  in  cattle — Disputed  right  of  way — 
Damaraland  traders — Stopped  on  our  journey  by  Namaquas — Cour 
age  and  determination  of  my  wife — Cattle-lifting — Pursuit  of  the 
robbers — Caught  in  a  trap — F.  Green's  coolness  in  danger — Insolent 
messages — Sale  of  my  cattle. 

WHEN  I  last  appeared  before  the  public  in  my 
narrative  entitled  "  The  River  Okavango,"  I  had 
become  a  complete  invalid  through  many  months  of 
distressing  illness,  and  consequently  quite  unfit  for  any 
serious  exertions.  The  spirit  for  exploration  and  dis 
covery,  nevertheless,  was  far  from  extinguished  in  me, 
but  the  power  to  execute  failed  me,  and  I  determined 
to  await  events  quietly  until  such  time  that  my  health 
was  restored. 

About  this  period  the  Walwich  Bay  Mining  Com 
pany,  whose  operations  in  this  country  I  had  at  one 
time  conducted,  rinding  that  they  were  carrying  on  an 
unprofitable  business,  determined  to  wind  up  their 
affairs,  and  to  offer  their  large  establishment  for  sale. 
They  not  unnaturally  turned  to  me  as  a  probable  pur- 


2  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

chaser.  It  is  true  I  had  neither  the  inclination  nor  the 
means  to  work  the  mines,  but  it  struck  me  that  their 
head-quarters,  Otjimbingue — a  place  so  often  mentioned 
in  my  former  works— might  be  most  advantageously 
turned  to  account  as  a  trading  station,  being  very  cen 
trally  and  conveniently  situated  for  such  a  purpose. 
Moreover,  the  company  possessed  a  large  number  of 
cattle,  chiefly  well-trained  wagon-oxen,  a  most  essen 
tial  item  toward  the  success  of  such  a  venture  as  I 
contemplated.  Finally,  I  thought  this  kind  of  life, 
which,  while  in  a  great  measure  sedentary,  had  a  good 
deal  of  desultory  activity  attached  to  it,  would  suit  me 
while  recruiting  my  shattered  constitution.  But  the 
risk  was  very  great.  In  the  first  instance  I  was  aware 
that  Jonker  Afrikaner  looked  upon  the  company's 
property  with  a  covetous  eye — in  fact  he  had  openly 
declared  that  they  had  no  right  to  part  with  what  he 
considered  his  own  !  And  I  am  sorry  to  say  he  was 
backed  in  this  unrighteous  assertion  by  more  than  one 
European,  who  thus  thought  to  serve  their  own  ends. 
Secondly,  that  most  fearful  scourge,  the  "  lung-sick 
ness "  (of  which  more  hereafter),  had  just  made  its  ap 
pearance  in  Damaraland,  and  was  playing  sad  havoc 
amon2f  the  live  stock  of  the  inhabitants.  But  not- 

o 

withstanding  all  these  serious  drawbacks,  I  began  to 
entertain  the  project ;  and  quickly  making  my  calcula 
tions,  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that,  even  under  very 
unfavorable  circumstances,  I  could  hardly  fall  to  do 
well.  Accordingly  I  closed  with  the  company's  offer, 
and  thus  somewhat  unexpectedly  found  myself  the  pro 
prietor  of  a  large  establishment — in  short,  I,  who  had 
recently  been  an  explorer,  became  converted  into  a 


RIGHT   OF   ROAD   DISPUTED.  3 

merchant.  The  step  proved  ultimately  my  ruin, 
though  brought  about  in  a  way  little  anticipated,  and 
without  any  particular  fault  on  my  part  ;  but  I  will  not 
anticipate.  Nor  will  I/try  the  reader's  patience  by 
asking  him  to  follow  me  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of 
a  trader's  experience  in  a  barbarous  country,  but  I  will 
select  such  episodes  of  my  life  at  this  period  as  I  think 
may  fairly  challenge  the  interest  and  attention  of  an 
indulgent  public. 

I  had  been  settled  about  a  year,  not  unprofitably, 
at  Otjimbingue,  when  I  found  it  necessary  to  try  to 
dispose  of  some  of  the  live  stock  acquired  by  my  origi 
nal  purchase,  as  well  as  that  afterward  obtained  in 
exchange.  Unfortunately  the  "  lung-sickness  "  had  by 
this  time  acquired  a  wonderful  repute  among  the  tribes 
bordering  on  Damaraland  to  the  south,  which  had  as 
yet  been  spared  this  curse  ;  and  it  was  currently  be 
lieved  that  no  person  coming  from  my  part  of  Africa 
would  be  permitted  to  pass  through  their  territories 
with  live  stock,  for  fear  of  having  their  own  also  affected. 
However,  as  there  had  always  been  an  acknowledged 
highway  from  time  immemorial,  and  as  the  country 
was  large  enough  to  admit  of  a  free  passage  to  traders 
and  travellers,  without  any  particular  danger  or  incon 
venience  to  any  one  concerned  ;  and,  above  all,  as  the 
Europeans  settled  in  Damaraland  could  not  exist  with 
out  a  market  for  their  produce,  which  consisted  almost 
solely  of  cattle  and  sheep,  I  felt  it  necessary  to  have 
the  matter  at  once  and  forever  decided  ;  and  as  I  dared 
trust  no  one  with  this  important  mission,  I  determined 
to  undertake  the  journey  in  person. 

At  this  time  I  was  on  a  very  friendly  footing — in 


4  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

fact  had  always  been  so — with  our  nearest  neighbors  to 
the  southward,  a  tribe  of  Namaquas  under  the  chief 
Wilhelm  Zwartbooi.  I  anticipated  consequently  little 
or  no  opposition  in  this  quarter,  a  view  which  proved 
correct  ;  for  after  due  representations  had  been  made 
to  my  friends,  and  I  have  very  little  doubt  also  through 
the  kind  interposition  of  my  esteemed  friend  their  ven 
erable  missionary,  the  late  Reverend  Henry  K^lein- 
schmidt,  permission  to  pass  through  their  country  was 
granted  with  promptitude  and  consideration.  The  real 
obstacle  was  a  long  way  ahead  of  us,  and  lay  princi 
pally  with  the  people  under  the  chief,  David  Christian, 
whose  head-quarters  were  Bethany — a  long-established 
missionary  post. 

My  arrangements  for  the  journey  being  completed, 
I  set  out  with  a  fine  troop  of  cattle  and  sheep,  and  pro 
ceeded  for  a  considerable  distance  without  any  interfer 
ence  or  molestation.  At  last,  having  passed  the  boun 
daries  of  my  friends,  we  met  with  other  people,  who, 
though  civil  enough  in  their  way,  one  and  all  gave  us 
to  understand  that  much  further  progress  was  out  of 
the  question,  and  advised  us  strongly  to  retrace  our 
steps.  Several  traders,  with  cattle,  on  the  path  which 
we  were  pursuing,  having  heard  an  exaggerated  account 
of  the  state  of  health  of  our  own  herds,  fled  precipi 
tately,  thus  making  matters  worse  for  us.  When  still 
several  days'  journey  distant  from  the  obnoxious  chief, 
I  determined  to  proceed  ahead  of  my  party,  with  a 
view  of  having  our  fears  confirmed,  or  our  hopes 
verified.  I  had  apparently  nothing  to  dread  for  my 
own  cattle  ;  for  though  I  certainly  had  had  several  cases 
of  death  occasioned  by  u  lung-sickness,"  all  symptoms  of 


ATTACKED   BY   DAVID   CHRISTIAN.  5 

this  disease  had  long  since  disappeared.  But  even 
had  my  cattle  continued  affected,  I  did  not  think  that 
the  chief  could  have  any  right  to  stop  my  progress  on 
a  road,  the  use  of  which'  was  sanctioned  by  immemo 
rial  custom. 

I  met  the  chief,  and  after  I  told  him  my  story,  per 
mission  to  proceed  was  readily  granted  to  me.  I  re 
turned  to  my  people  in  good  spirits,  thinking  that  all 
our  difficulties  were  now  happily  at  an  end,  but  I  had 
sadly  reckoned  without  my  host,  as  the  sequel  will 
shortly  prove.  In  my  company  were  several  other 
traders  from  Damaraland,  and  of  course  in  the  same 
situation  as  myself,  who  usually  journeyed  a  little 
ahead  of  me.  One  day,  it  seems,  a  large  party  of  Na- 
'maquas  on  horseback,  headed  by  David  Christian  in  per 
son,  made  their  appearance,  and  peremptorily  forbade 
their  further  progress  ;  they  even  went  so  far  as  to 
order  some  cattle  to  be  slaughtered  for  their  inspec 
tion.  This  proved  nothing  against  my  fellow-travellers, 
but  a  good  feast  to  our  foes — and  probably  it  was 
meant  to  be  so  from  the  first  ;  but  the  enemy  had  evi 
dently  predetermined  to  stop  us.  When  my  turn  came, 
I  at  first  tried  every  argument  that  reason  could  sug 
gest,  and  finding  these  unavailing,  I  told  the  chief 
plainly  that  nothing  but  his  superior  force  should  stop 
me.  "  Indeed,"  I  fearlessly  added,  "  were  I  but  strong 
enough,  I  would  try  a  conclusion  with  you  that  might 
prove  unpalatable  enough  ;  "  at  the  same  time  laying 
my  hand  firmly  on  the  handle  of  my  revolver.  The 
chief  became  exceedingly  fierce  and  indignant  at  my 
resolute  conduct,  but  I  quietly  assured  him  that  to  get 
into  a  passion  with  me  was  useless,  as  I  did  not  care 


6  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

one  straw  for  him  and  his  myrmidons,  and  that  they 
failed  utterly  to  intimidate  me.  Of  course,  should  he 
persist  in  refusing  me  a  passage,  circumstanced  as  I 
was,  there  was  no  alternative  but  to  send  back  my  cat 
tle;  but  as  for  myself,  I  would  go  forward,  and  return 
next  season  strong  enough,  I  hoped,  to  defy  him  and 
any  force  that  he  could  oppose  to  me.  At  this  his 
wrath  knew  apparently  no  bounds  ;  he  swore,  he  stamped, 
he  suddenly  rose  from  his  seat,  and  as  suddenly  re 
seated  himself,  trembling  all  the  while  like  an  aspen 
leaf  with  anger  and  excitement.  But  under  all  this 
frothy  outburst  of  passion  and  assumed  indignation,  it 
was  easy  to  see  that  my  firm  behavior  had  considerably 
intimidated  him  :  for  he  knew  enough  of  me  to  feel 

o 

certain  that  I  would  carry  my  threats  into  execution 
if  within  the  range  of  possibilities.  Indeed,  he  hon 
estly  acknowledged  to  poor  Jonathan  (of  whom  more 
presently)  that  he  was  in  a  "  funk."  "  I  thought  at 
one  time,"  he  said,  "  that  Mr.  Andersson  would  have 
shot  me  !  "  Thus  ended  our  last  inauspicious  interview. 
I  reached  the  Cape  in  safety,  after  a  long  and  ha 
rassing  journey,  and  lost  no  time  in  maturing  my  plans. 
I  had  fully  made  up  mind  to  fight  it  out  with  the  ob 
noxious  chief,  if  necessary,  and  took  measures  accord 
ingly.  Among  other  things,  I  supplied  myself  with 
two  small  but  handsome  and  serviceable  brass  field- 
pieces — not  so  much  for  the  sake  of  the  execution  I 
meant  to  do  with  them,  as  for  the  moral  effect  they 
were  likely  to  produce  on  a  semi-barbarous  people,  who 
had  probably  an  exaggerated  opinion  of  cannon.  Some 
of  my  friends,  it  is  true,  thought  this  a  most  imprudent 
step,  as  it  might  tend  to  make  the  natives  more  obsti- 


OFFER  OF   ESCORT.  7 

nate  and  unaccommodating  ;  but  I  had  fully  calculated 
all  the  consequences,  and  the  result  justified  the 
measure. 

On  my  return  to  Da.maraland,  I  found  a  number 
of  my  hunting  friends  and  acquaintances  congregated 
at  Otjimbingue,  partly  awaiting  my  own  return,  and 
partly  recruiting  themselves  for  fresh  exertions  against 
the  elephants.  On  hearing  of  my  determination  to 
force  my  way  to  the  colony  through  the  Namaquas, 
they  came  forward  in  a  body  to  offer  me  their  escort, 
deeming  my  own  servants  much  too  small  a  party  for 
undertaking  so  dangerous  an  enterprise.  I  was  some 
what  reluctant  to  avail  myself  of  their  valuable  services, 
inasmuch  as  their  absence  from  their  usual  occupations 
would,  in  all  probability,  involve  the  loss  of  a  whole 
season — to  most  of  them  an  object  of  the  utmost 
importance.  At  the  same  time,  they  were  entirely 
dependent  on  me  for  their  necessary  supplies  and  crea 
ture  comforts,  and  were  fully  aware  that,  unless  I  could 
bring  my  cattle  speedily  and  safely  to  a  market,  they 
themselves  would  stand  no  chance  of  having  their 
wants  provided  for.  Their  offer  of  assistance,  there 
fore,  though  certainly  most  kind  and  considerate,  was 
not  altogether  disinterested,  and  after  due  considera 
tion  I  accepted  their  proffered  help.  But  even  with 
this  opportune,  and  altogether  unexpected,  addition  to 
my  party,  we  mustered  hardly  twenty  really  serviceable 
guns,  a  mere  cipher  as  compared  with  the  many  hun 
dreds  that  were  likely  to  be  raised  against  us,  should  it 
be  found  necessary  to  have  recourse  to  force,  in  order 
to  open  up  the  disputed  passage.  But  I  correctly  esti 
mated  my  own  strength,  and  that  of  my  apparently 


S  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

formidable  enemy.  Thus  I  felt  certain  that,  when 
once  fairly  en  route,  many-tongued  rumor  would  vastly 
exaggerate  our  real  strength  ;  the  names  of  some  of  my 
party  were  in  themselves  a  host  ;  and  lastly,  not  the 
least,  I  felt  sure  that  my  noisy  brass  friends  could  not 
fail  to  inspire  a  certain  respect,  if  not  awe — in  short  I 
felt  pretty  sure  of  success. 

Everything  being  finally  settled  for  our  adventurous 
journey,  we  set  out  in  high  spirits.  Each  man  was 
provided  with  a  double-barrelled  gun  or  rifle,  a  Colt's 
revolver,  a  pistol,  and  a  stout  hunting-knife.  Most  of 
the  party  had  adopted  a  kind  of  uniform^scarlet  and 
drab — and  being  all  pretty  well  mounted,  my  escort 
made  both  a  picturesque  and  martial  appearance. 

Apprehending  considerable  trouble  and  danger,  I 
had  decided  on  leaving  my  wife  and  child — then  a  mere 
infant — behind  me  at  Otjimbingue  ;  but  my  wife  hav 
ing  accompanied  me  a  few  days'  journey  on  the  way, 
we  found  each  other's  society  so  pleasant  that,  as  the 
time  for  leave-taking  approached,  my  brave  little  help 
mate  was  determined  to  share  with  me  every  danger 
and  trial.  Having  hastily  consulted  my  companions 
upon  the  advisability  of  the  step,  she  was  allowed  to 
have  her  own  way,  and  we  were  thus  spared  a  painful 
and  long  separation.  The  result  justified  our  decision, 
and  thus  I  had  the  inestimable  boon  of  the  company 
of  my  family  during  this  long,  dangerous,  and  harass 
ing  journey,  extending,  as  it  did,  over  a  distance  of 
upward  of  a  thousand  miles,  through  regions  the  most 
bleak  and  barren. 

As  on  a  former  occasion,  all  went  on  smoothly  for 
some  days,  only  one  incident  occurring  worthy  of  being 


CATTLE  CARRIED   OFF  BY  THE   TOPNAARS.  9 

here  recorded.  We  had  just  arrived  at  .a  Mr.  S- 's 

house  (the  last  European  habitation  we  were  likely  to 
meet  with  for  some  months  to  come),  and  were  enjoy 
ing  ourselves  so  far  as  liberty,  good  cheer,  fine  weather, 
and  happy  spirits  would  allow,  having  in  fact  selected 
for  our  motto  "Sufficient  for  the  day  is  the  evil  there 
of."  In  the  midst  of  our  rejoicings,  the  astounding 
news  reached  us  that  a  considerable  number  of  cattle 
belonging  to  our  hospitable  host  had  been  carried  off 
by  a  set  of  rascals  living  at  no  great  distance,  and  who 
belonged  to  a  tribe  of  Hottentots  called  Topnaars,  the 
fellows  in  question  acknowledging  Jonker  Afrikaner  as 
their  chief;  but  only  nominally,  for  they  did  very  much 
as  they  pleased,  laying  friend  and  foe  alike  under  occa 
sional  contribution.  In  fact  the  tribe  was  enlarged 
and  strengthened  by  a  conglomeration  of  the  most 
villainous  and  wretched  scoundrels  in  the  country. 
Any  man  outlawed  from  his  own  tribe  was  sure  to  meet 
with  a  hearty  welcome  from  the  Topnaars,  who  with 
their  lawless  associates  were  truly  a  savage  crew. 

Neither  deeming  it  safe  to  absent  myself  from  my 
own  property  and  people,  nor  indeed  essential  to  the 
success  of  the  enterprise,  I  left  it  to  my  escort  to  pur 
sue,  and,  if  possible,  recapture  the  lost  cattle.  But  the 
undertaking  proved  a  far  more  serious  one  than  was  at 
first  anticipated,  and  might  have  resulted  in  the  most 
serious  consequences  to  myself  and  chattels,  had  there 
been  less  presence  of  mind  and  pluck  among  my  brave 
volunteers. 

The  stolen  stock  was  duly  traced,  but  on  account 
of  the  rocky  and  embarrassing  nature  of  the  ground 
traversed  by  the  thieves,  it  was  only  late  on  the  second 
i* 


10  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

day  after  the  departure  of  my  friends  that  they  found 
themselves  approaching  the  place  to  which  the  booty 
had  been  conveyed.  They  were  quietly  following  on 
the  spoor,  when,  suddenly  turning  the  angle  of  a  rock 
in  an  intricate  passage  along  which  they  had  been  for 
some  time  unsuspiciously  winding  their  way,  they  found 
themselves  in  full  view  of  a  wretched  village,  and  were 
at  the  same  moment  challenged  by  at  least  fifty  rascals 
completely  hidden  from  view.  Only  a  few  women  and 
children  were  visible  about  the  huts,  but,  on  looking 
toward  the  surrounding  rocks  whence  the  challenge 
had  proceeded,  they  found  them  literally  bristling  with 
fire-arms,  while  they  were  unable  to  distinguish  the 
form  even  of  one  of  those  in  whose  hands  they  were. 
On  finding  themselves  thus  fearfully  entrapped — for 
even  their  retreat  was  cut  off — my  friends  honestly  con 
fessed  that  they  experienced  a  feeling  of  horror,  and 
had  it  been  practicable  would  probably  have  beat  a 
precipitate  retreat ;  but  though  they  might  have  done 
so  with  honor,  the  muzzles  of  guns  threateningly 
pointed  at  them  from  every  nook  and  corner  prevented 
them  from  attempting  it  with  safety.  The  hesitation 
and  trepidation,  however,  were  only  momentary,  for 
finding  escape  impossible,  the  leader  of  the  devoted 
little  band,  my  brave  friend  F.  Green,  ordered  his  fol 
lowers  to  dismount,  and  pulling  out  his  pipe,  coolly 
proceeded  to  fill  and  light  it.  This  presence  of  mind 
in  the  face  of  imminent  danger  had  the  desired  effect, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  every  volunteer  was  sending  forth 
volumes  of  smoke  from  his  clay  bowl,  thus  hiding  the 
temporary  dismay  by  which  they  had  been  struck,  and 
utterly  dumbfounding  the  enemy  by  their  temerity. 


COURAGE  AND   DETERMINATION.  II 

Repeating  their  challenge  not  to  proceed,  the  villains 
insolently  demanded  the  cause  of  the  presence  of  the 
strangers.  This  was  explained,  and  intimation  was  at 
the  same  time  conveyedthat  they  were  determined  not 
to  stir  from  the  spot  until  the  stolen  cattle  were  given 
up.  A  terrible  hubbub  then  ensued,  and  a  few  of  the 
men  appeared  in  view,  brandishing  their  arms  threaten 
ingly  and  gesticulating  wildly;  but  the  greater  number 
of  their  guns  remained  pointed  toward  them,  and  in 
unpleasantly  close  proximity.  The  moments  that  fol 
lowed  were  intensely  exciting,  my  friends  not  knowing 
but  that  every  second  might  be  their  last  on  earth ; 
they  were  so  utterly  helpless,  a  single  false  movement 
and  they  would  inevitably  have  been  ushered  into 
eternity.  Whatever  courage  they  might  have  possessed, 
and  there  was  no  lack  of  that  manly  quality,  availed 
them  nothing,  as  their  enemies  remained  concealed 
from  view  during  the  whole  of  a  somewhat  protracted 
parley.  But  to  make  a  long  story  short,  after  endless 
questions,  accompanied  with  menacing  gesticulations 
and  angry  threats,  the  foe  gave  in,  and  not  only  restored 
the  cattle  they  had  purloined,  but  entertained  their 
unwelcome  visitors  hospitably !  In  journeying  home 
ward  in  safety,  with  the  recovered  stock,  there  was 
not  one  among  my  escort  who  did  not  feel  sincerely 
thankful  for  his  narrow  escape  from  destruction,  at 
one  time  so  imminent. 

After  this  adventure  nothing  occurred  for  some 
time  to  disturb  our  peace,  except  when  we  encountered 
any  of  the  friendly  or  neutral  Namaquas,  who  jeered  us 
on  account  of  our  determination  to  proceed,  assuring 
us  that  David  Christian  with  the  whole  of  his  tribe  was 


12  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

waiting  to  dispute  our  passage  at  a  certain  intricate 
and  dangerous  point  of  the  road.  At  last  we  actually 
met  messengers  sent  by  the  chief  in  question  to  forbid 
peremptorily  our  further  progress.  We  received  from 
time  to  time  several  of  these  haughty  and  insolent 
messages,  to  all  of  which  we  quietly  answered,  "  We 
are  friendly  disposed,  and  only  require  a  road  for  our 
cattle  now  and  henceforth,  grant  our  reasonable  demand 
and  you  will  insure  our  gratitude,"  all  the  while  stead 
ily  pursuing  our  course.  At  last  a  neutral  chief,  one 
of  some  note,  came  as  ambassador  to  us  on  behalf  of 
himself  and  his  brother  chief,  through  whose  territories 
we  desired  to  pass.  Fortunately  he  was  not  only 
friendly  disposed  toward  us  and  our  cause,  but  a  sen 
sible  man,  who,  after  listening  to  our  arguments,  sud 
denly  declared  that  he  had  been  authorized  by  David 
Christian  to  grant  our  request  in  full  should  he  deem 
it  reasonable,  and  he  would  do  so.  I  need  not  say  that 
this  happy  termination  of  our  troubles  was  hailed  with 
the  utmost  satisfaction  and  joy  by  every  one  of  my  party, 
more  particularly  as  it  was  in  a  great  measure  unex 
pected.  It  was  certainly  more  favorable  than  any  of  us 
had  dared  to  anticipate. 

I  have  been  thus  minute  in  the  particulars  of  my 
life  at  this  period,  not  out  of  a  vain  bravado,  I  hope, 
but  as  an  encouragement  to  future  travellers.  My  own 
experience  proves  that  a  person  similarly  situated  need 
never  despair,  and  that,  with  judicious  determination, 
great  ends  may  be  accomplished  with  very  small 
means.  It  would  have  been  my  utter  ruin  had  the 
natives  been  able  to  stop  my  progress ;  but,  as  it  was, 
I  was  the  means  of  obtaining  immense  benefits  for  all 


A   DIFFICULTY   SURMOUNTED.  13 

those  who  were  interested  in  my  expedition,  since  not 
only  was  the  road  opened  on  the  present  occasion,  but 
every  one  obtained  full  liberty  to  use  it  for  the  future  as 
he  thought  fit. 

Shortly  after  this  happy  termination  of  our  troubles, 
we  said  farewell  to  our  gallant  escort  who  were  now 
able  to  return  to  their  usual  occupation,  having  still  the 
best  part  of  the  season  left  for  hunting  the  elephant. 
I  proceeded  to  the  south,  and  they  turned  to  the  north. 
How  they  fared,  I  may  perhaps  tell  in  a  future  chapter, 
as  for  myself  and  my  loving  and  courageous  wife,  we 
got  over  the  rest  of  the  journey  in  safety.  On  my 
arrival  at  the  Cape,  not  reached  without  great  trouble 
and  hardship,  I  made  a  famous  sale  of  my  cattle,  win- 
ning  golden  opinions  from  all  for  my  beef  and  mutton 


CHAPTER    II. 

Jonker  Afrikaner — Visit  to  David  Christian — Arrogant  conduct  of  a 
Hottentot— Ruffianly  attack— Fatal  error  committed  by  my  op 
ponent — Tragical  incident — In  the  presence  of  death — My  wife's 
courage — Reputation  of  the  author  in  Africa— Daniel  Cloete — 
Inquiry  into  the  death  of  my  Hottentot  assailant — Decision — Return 
to  Otjimbingue. 

O  IIORTLY  after  my  return  to  my  residence  in  Da- 
O  maraland,  I  resolved  upon  paying  a  visit  to  the 
then  paramount  chief  of  the  country.  Jonker  Afrikaner 
had  now  been  dead  some  time,  and  it  was  impossible 
to  deny  that  his  death  was  a  misfortune  to  the  country 
at  large  ;  for  though  he  had  slain  and  plundered  on  a 
large  scale,  he  possessed  certain  qualities  that  made 
him  at  least  feared  both  by  friend  and  foe.  He  had  been 
succeeded  in  the  chieftainship  by  his  eldest  son,  Chris 
tian,  a  weak,  easy  man,  not  badly  disposed,  but  utterly 
unfit  for  his  high,  important,  and  difficult  station.  It 
was  this  man  I  proposed  to  visit,  for  I  knew  he  both 
wished  and  expected  to  see  me.  I  was  also  desirous 
of  showing  my  wife  a  little  more  of  the  country,  and  no 
season  could  have  been  more  propitious,  the  weather 
being  moderately  warm,  and  the  earth  revelling  in  her 
richest  and  most  profuse  spring  dress,  as  the  season 
had  been  very  favorable  for  the  vegetation. 

We  set  out,  and  had  accomplished-  rather  more  than 
one  half  of  the  journey,  when  we  reached  the  small 
werft  of  a  Hottentot  distinguished  for  his  insolence, 


A   RASCALLY   HOTTENTOT.  I  5 

brutality,  and  lawlessness.  Christian  Afrikaner  was  his 
chief,  but  in  the  conversation,  or  rather  quarrel,  that 

took  place  between   us,  he  laughed  at  the  idea  of  this 

.  »^> 

being  the  case,  maintaining  that  he  himself  was  the 
captain,  and  Christian  only  his  servant ! — monstrous 
arrogance  !  On  several  occasions  he  had  levied  black 
mail  on  travellers  and  traders,  even  ill-treating  them 
personally.  Nevertheless,  I  never  dreamt  of  his  daring 
to  interfere  with  me,  more  particularly  as  I  was  on  a 
visit  to  the  chief.  But  it  proved  otherwise,  for  we  had 
hardly  "  out-spanned  "  and  kindled  a  fire  preparatory 
to  our  frugal  meal,  when  the  individual  in  question,  a 
big,  surly  fellow,  with  the  visage  of  a  scoundrel,  made 
his  appearance. 

On  seeing  me  he  grunted  forth  a  few  words — they 
might  have  meant  a  curse  for  aught  we  knew,  then  lean 
ing  forward  against  his  long  stick,  so  indispensable  to 
every  Hottentot  of  consideration,  he  eyed  me  for  awhile 
with  lowering  looks,  and  suddenly  demanded  my  name, 
which  in  fact  he  knew  as  well  as  I  did  myself,  having 
learned  it  from  his  numerous  attendants. 

"  Oh,"  I  replied,  "my  name?  There  can  be  no 
occasion  to  give  you  that,  since  I  must  be  well  known 
to  you  by  report,  if  not  by  sight.  I  just  heard  one  of 
your  people  repeat  it  to  you." 

"Yes,  but  I  want  your  name." 

"  Very  well,  Andersson  then  it  is." 

"  Oh  !  Andersson,  Andersson  is  it  ?  The  savage 
Andersson.  Ah,  we  shall  see  to-day  who  is  master, 
you  or  I." 

This  was  most  provoking  language,  but  I  rejoined 
good-humoredly  that  I  could  have  no  wish  to  be  his 


l6  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

master ;  and  as  for  him  ever  becoming  mine,  I  thought 
it  a  most  unlikely  event.  He  next  demanded  our 
coffee-kettje,  dresses  for  his  women,  the  wagon-chests, 
etc.,  indeed  I  verily  believe  everything  he  saw,  or  could 
think  of,  whether  I  had  it  or  not !  I  began  to  feel  a 
little  riled,  as  a  Yankee  would  say,  at  the  fellow's 
impertinence,  no  native  having  ever  dared  to  go  thus 
far;  and  if,  unhappily,  any  of  them  had  forgotten  what 
was  due  to  me,  they  had  always  received  suitable 
chastisement*  It  was  evident  that  the  scoundrel  had 
made  up  his  mind  beforehand  to  be  troublesome,  per 
haps  violent,  reckoning  no  doubt,  upon  his  former  suc 
cesses  in  that  line ;  for  he  now  burst  forth  in  a  torrent 
of  abuse  of  the  most  scurrilous  kind,  and  certainly 
utterly  uncalled  for,  as  this,  to  the  best  of  my  belief,  was 
the  very  first  time  that  we  had  met,  and  though  I  had 
frequently  heard  of  his  villainy,  I  had  never  injured  him 
either  in  deed  or  word. 

Seating  myself  on  the  pole  of  the  wagon.  I  folded 
my  arms,  quietly  allowing  the  fellow  to  exhaust,  if 
possible,  his  vocabulary  of  scurrilous  language,  which 
was  translated  to  me  word  for  word  ;  I,  merely  remark 
ing  in  a  undertone  to  my  wife,  "  I  will  have  that  fellow 
on  his  knees  if  he  continues  much  longer  his  unwar 
rantable  conduct."  Finding  me  determinedly  silent, 
he  came  close  up  to  me,  shaking  his  clenched  fist  in 
my  teeth,  and  hissing  forth  between  his  teeth  : 

"  You  cannot  pass  on  your  way,  span  in  and  go  back 
the  way  you  came,"  at  the  same  time  pointing  toward 
Otjimbingue,  thus  trying  to  give  further  effect  to  his 
words.  It  was  now  high  time  to  undeceive  the  brutal 


DEATH   OF  A   SCOUNDREL.  17 

scoundrel,  and   I   sprang  to   my  feet,  and  thus  slowly 
addressed  him  : 

"  Look  here.  I  have,  out  of  respect  to  your  chief, 
borne  with  your  insolence  thus  far.  I  am,  as  I  have 
already  told  you,  on  my  way  to  visit  him,  and  unless 
he  should  order  me  to  go  back,  neither  you  nor  any 
one  else  shall  turn  me  from  my  purpose,  as  long  as 
there  is  breath  in  my  body  ;  if  you  attempt  to  stop  me, 
be  the  consequences  on  your  own  head."  Suiting  my 
action  to  my  words,  I  called  for  the  trek-oxen  to  be 
caught  and  yoked.  While  my  boys  carried  out  my 
orders,  I  went  a  few  paces  on  the  other  side  of  the 
wagon  to  fetch  my  horse.  While  I  was  stooping  to 
undo  the  knee-halter,  with  which  he  was  secured,  I  saw 
my  enemy  deliberately  walk  up  to  where  my  saddle 
and  gun  were  lying  on  the  ground,  and  possess  himself 
of  the  bridle.  This  was  a  climax  to  his  insolence  which 
I  could  not  endure ;  but  still  keeping  my  temper,  I 
went  quietly  up  to  the  fellow  and  said :  "  Come,  give 
me  that  bridle,"  at  the  same  time  laying  my  hand  on 
his  shoulder,  while  with  the  left  I  seized  the  reins.  To 
avoid  losing  his  hold,  he  stepped  rather  suddenly 
back,  and  coming  in  violent  contact  with  our  cooking 
utensils,  he  rolled  over  on  his  back.  But  unwieldy  as 
his  carcass  appeared  to  be,  he  was  on  his  legs  in  a  mo 
ment,  striking  me  at  the  same  time  a  fearful  blow  in 
the  face  just  about  my  eyes,  with  some  hard  and  angu 
lar  substance,  whether  it  was  the  bit  of  the  bridle,  or  a 
stone,  I  never  knew.  Be  that  as  it  may,  I  felt  my  face 
suffused  with  blood,  and  I  was  half-stunned  with  the 
violence  of  the  blow.  Almost  simultaneously  I  was 
laid  hold  of  by  three  or  four  sturdy  ruffians,  his  servants 


1 8  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL.  • 

and  backers    no  doubt  in  many  a  similar   outrageous 
affray  ;  but  having  always  possessed  an  extremely  agile 
and  somewhat  muscular  though  slight  frame,  and  hav 
ing  a  hazy  notion  that  I  was  in   a  somewhat  desperate 
situation,  I,  with  a  violent  and  sudden  effort,  shook  off 
both  drowsiness  and   assailants,  flinging  the  latter  to 
some   distance,  and  retreated  precipitately  toward  my 
gun.     My   enemy   perceived    in    a   moment    his   fatal 
error,  and  now  realized  fully  the  nature  of  the  man  he 
had  to  deal  with,  and  whom  he  had  so  grossly  provoked 
and  so  unjustly  assaulted.     He  again  rushed  upon  me 
wildly,  his  face  contorted  frightfully  with  passion,  and 
with  such  a  fiend-like  expression   in  his  eyes   as  I  had 
never  seen  before.     But  quick  as  he  was,  he  was  too 
late  to  prevent  me  from  accomplishing  the  object  I  had 
in  view.     I  seized  the  gun,  and  in  fewer  moments  than 
it  would  take  to  describe  the  horrible  scene,  the  unfor 
tunate  man  lay  a  corpse  at  my  feet,  never  more  to  dis 
turb  or  annoy  inoffensive  travellers. 

The  scene  that  now  ensued  baffles  all  description  ; 
the  women  and  children  screamed  and  gesticulated 
wildly,  some  of  the  men  rushed  to  arms,  while  others 
ran  off  furiously  in  various  directions,  evidently  with 
the  intention  of  circulating  the  news  and  summoning 
further  aid. 

It  has  been  my  lot  in  life  to  witness  many  an  appall 
ing  sight,  and  to  find  myself  involved  in  many  a  trying 
situation,  but  none  more  trying  than  this;  for  had  I 
not  a  helpless  wife  and  infant  to  care  for  as  well  as  my 
self?  It  was  dreadful ;  and  the  mere  narration  of  the 
incident,  after  the  lapse  of  many  years,  still  excites  my 
deepest  feelings.  My  case  now  appeared  utterly  hope- 


PERILOUS   POSITION.  •  19 

less,  for  the  instant  they  saw  my  enemy  fall  dead,  my 
few  native  servants,  mere  boys  as  already  said,  fled 
precipitately,  leaving  me  to  my  fate.  Nevertheless,  I 
did  not  lose  my  presence  of  mind  for  a  moment,  but 
shouting  to  my  run-away  people,  entreated  them  to 
stop,  not  with  a  view  or  hope  for  personal  protection, 
but  to  collect  and  attend  to  the  dispersed  trek-oxen. 
I  also  requested  my  wife,  who  was  in  the  wagon  with 
the  child,  to  put  my  spare  rifle  in  a  convenient  and 
accessible  position,  and  then  folding  my  arms,  I  faced 
the  foe  and  boldly  defied  them  to  do  their  worst.  The 
sight  that  then  met  my  eyes  was  not  calculated  to  re 
assure  me,  or  to  give  me  any  hope  of  escape  from  the 
trap  into  which  I  had  fallen.  My  eyes  fell  on  three 
men,  in  a  kneeling  posture  within  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  yards,  taking  each  a  deliberate  aim  at  my 
exposed  person,  so  deliberate,  indeed,  that  in  order  to 
insure  perfect  accuracy  in  their  aim,  they  were  resting 
their  guns  against  the  ramrods  stuck  upright  in  the 
earth  for  that  purpose.  Expecting  nothing  short  of 
instant  death,  I  was  now  only  anxious  to  shield  my 
poor  wife  and  offspring  as  much  as  possible  from  bodily 
harm,  and  accordingly  just  moved  sufficiently  on  one 
side  to  allow  the  balls  to  pass  them  harmlessly  should 
the  villains  confine  their  fire  to  me  alone.  At  this 
moment  I  heard  one  of  the  Damara  lads,  who  had 
Returned  to  the  vicinity  at  my  earnest  solicitations,  call 
out,  "  Ofr  !  master,  get  behind  the  wagon,  the  Hotten 
tots  are  about  to  fire  on  you."  Though  duly  appre 
ciating  the  poor  fellow's  anxiety  for  my  safety,  I  of 
course  did  not  leave  my  exposed  situation,  well  know 
ing  that  my  only  chance  of  safety  lay  in  putting  a  bold 


20  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

face  on  the  matter,  as  retreat  at  that  moment  would 
have  been  a  sure  signal  for  the  cowards  to  fire.  Besides, 
how  could  I  think  of  sheltering  myself  behind  the 
wagon,  which  at  that  moment  contained  all  that  I  held 
dearest  on  earth  ? 

After  enduring  several  minutes — to  me  an  age — of 
the  most  intense  mental  anguish,  for  the  muzzles  of  the 
guns  were  constantly  pointed  at  my  breast.  I  saw,  to 
my  astonishment  and  inexpressible  relief,  the  fellows 
rise  from  their  threatening  attitudes  and  make  off! 
Of  course  I  did  not  flatter  myself  that  the  danger  was 
over,  but  it  gave  me  breathing  time  ;  and  now  that  the 
enemy  was  out  of  sight,  I  was  enabled  to  recall  my 
panic-stricken  servants,  and  to  collect  the  scattered 
trek-cattle,  etc.,  which  were  now  inspanned,  with  tlie 
utmost  despatch,  and  we  proceeded  on  the  journey. 

I  cannot  here  refrain  from  paying  a  fitting  tribute 
of  thanks  and  praise  to  my  dear  wife,  who,  during  the 
whole  of  this  trying  scene  never  uttered  one  word  of 
alarm,  or  in  the  slightest  way  interfered  with  my  move 
ments.  Had  it  been  otherwise,  how  easily  might  I 
have  been  unnerved  !  She  proved  herself  a  true  trav 
eller's  wife,  and  gained  by  her  singularly  calm  and  col 
lected  conduct  a  great  deal  of  well-merited  applause. 

I  had  now  the  alternative  of  proceeding  on  my  jour 
ney  or  retracing  my  steps — the  latter  of  course  being 
the  most  tempting,  as  the  road  was  comparatively  fr^e 
of  danger,  while  an  onward  movement  would  certainly 
entail  on  us  fresh  perils,  if  not  utter  destruction.  I 
chose  notwithstanding  to  incur  these  rather  than  be 
branded  with  cowardice.  Moreover,  I  felt  convinced 
that  a  retrograde  movement  would  have  been  con- 


EXCULPATION.  21 

strued  into  a  sign  of  guilt,  which  no  after-conduct  of 
mine  could  rectify  or  obliterate.  After  a  hurried  con 
sultation  with  my  heroic  -wife,  who  saw  the  matter  in 
the  same  light  as  myself,  I  resolved  on  prosecuting  our 
journey,  with  the  intention  of  boldly  laying  my  case 
before  the  chief  whose  subject  I  had  slain,  but  who  had 
given  me  such  ample  cause  for  the  deed. 

There  will  be  those  of  my  readers,  I  fear,  who  will 
censure  me  for  my  proceedings,  and  brand  the  act  as 
one  of  unnecessary  precipitation  ;  but  difficult  as  it  may 
appear  to  exculpate  myself,  it  would  be  somewhat  unfair 
to  judge  my  conduct  on  this  occasion  by  the  ordinary- 
standard  of  right  or  wrong — only  those  who  have  been 
in  a  similar  position  can  form  a  fair  judgment  on  my 
conduct.  Had  I  been  opposed  to  a  single  foe,  or  even 
had  my  opponents  been  three  or  four  men  only,  I  might 
have  been  spared  the  dreadful  alternative  ;  but  the  odds 
against  me  were  at  least  ten  to  one,  an  overwhelming 
majority  it  must  be  confessed.  In  a  country  utterly 
devoid  of  all  laws,  the  only  chance  of  safety  to  the  poor 
traveller  lies  in  his  own  power  of  defence,  and  in  the 
fear  with  which  he  is  able  to  inspire  his  foes.  When  a 
savage  semi-civilized  man  ceases  to  fear,  he  becomes 
overbearing  and  insolent,  from  which  it  is  but  one  step 
to  personal  violence,  and  probably  ultimate  destruction. 
At  this  period,  not  one  of  the  numerous  Europeans 
gaining  their  living,  either  by  trade  or  hunting,  had 
escaped  insults  and  deadly  threats,  nay,  mostly  all  had 
been  robbed,  flogged,  and  otherwise  brutally  ill-treated. 
Hitherto  I  had  escaped  personal  violence,  but  I  could 
hardly  expect  to  remain  forever  unmolested  among 
such  a  set  of  ruffians.  The  Namaquas,  with  a  few 


22  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

exceptions,  hated  me,  and  simply  for  possessing  the 
very  qualities  they  themselves  were  destitute  of,  viz., 
courage,  and  a  true  estimate  of  the  sanctity  of  a  man's 
word.  The  terms  the  "  proud,"  the  "  devil  "—the  lat 
ter  equivocal  appellation  being  a  compliment  to  my 
supposed  hardihood  in  penetrating  to  distant  and  little 
known,  or  altogether  unknown  regions — were  indiffer 
ently  applied  to  me.  Knowing  therefore  that  loss  of 
prestige  would  soon  be  followed  by  loss  of  property, 
perhaps  of  life  itself,  I  had  made  a  vow  to  kill  the  first 
savage  who  attempted  to  lay  violent  hands  on  my  per 
son,  and  I  had  now  fulfilled  it.  Far  be  it  from  me, 
however,  to  glory  in  the  deed — on  the  contrary,  I  shall 
always  regret  having  shed  human  blood  ;  but  it  was  an 
act  of  necessity,  and  I  feel  I  acted  for  the  best. 

But  to  return  to  my  story.  I  had  but  too  justly 
estimated  the  precariousness  of  our  situation.  As  soon 
as  everything  was  ready,  I  ordered  the  wagon  to  pro 
ceed,  following  at  a  short  distance  on  horseback,  the 
post  of  danger,  I  conceived,  in  this  instance.  Scarcely 
had  we  got  a  mile  or  two  on  our  way,  before  I  saw  a 
Namaqua — an  old  friend  and  acquaintance — running  up 
to  us  in  breathless  haste,  exclaiming  in  Dutch  :  "  Oh, 
Mr.  Andersson,  for  God's  sake  hurry  on  to  Barmen," 
(the  nearest  missionary  station),  "  for  the  sons  of  the 
man  you  have  killed  are  coming  on  with  a  strong  party 
to  murder  you.  I  have  come  away  from  them,  at  the 
risk  of  my  life,  to  warn  you."  Poor  fellow,  he  was  hardly 
able  to  articulate  for  fear  and  trepidation,  and  evidently 
felt  a  most  sincere  anxiety  for  my  safety,  and  I  was 
much  touched  with  the  interest  he  evinced  on  my  be 
half.  Bidding  him  a  hurried  farewell,  and  telling  him 


INTENTION   OF  THE   SAVAGES.  23 

to  be  of  good  cheer — how  my  heart  belied  the  encour 
agement  ! — we  steadily  pursued  our  journey,  but  with 
out  any  unseemly  hurry,  which  in  fact  would  not  have 
availed  us,  as  ere  long  we  must  have  been  overtaken 
by  our  relentless  foe.  Scarcely  had  my  kind-hearted 
well-wisher  departed,  when  the  report  of  a  gun  was 
heard,  and  at  the  same  time  a  ball  whistled  unpleas 
antly  near  us.  But  there  was  nothing  for  us  to  do  but 
quietly  to  await  the  deadly  encounter,  which  I  no  longer 
doubted  would  take  place  ere  many  minutes  had  elapsed. 
Nothing  more,  however,  was  seen  or  heard  until  we 
arrived  at  a  narrow  part  of  the  road,  where  we  had  the 
misfortune  to  get  our  wagon  almost  helplessly  jammed 
in  mud  against  half-buried  rocks.  Night  was  coming 
on,  and  with  it  a  drizzling  rain — a  cheerless  and  gloomy 
prospect  with  a  revengeful  foe  at  our  backs.  At  this 
moment  at  least  fifty  armed  men  came  up  to  us,  but 
instead  of  massacring  us  on  the  spot,  they  merely 
stopped  to  glare  and  scowl  at  us  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
then  passed  on.  This  reprieve,  however,  had  in  nowise 
diminished  the  danger  ;  it  merely  changed  our  relative 
positions,  our  savage  foes  were  now  in  front  of  us,  in 
stead  of  behind,  and  likely  to  increase  in  numbers  at 
every  step  they  made  in  advance. 

Night  had  now  closed  in,  and  with  it  the  rain  in 
creased,  so  that  ere  long  our  garments  were  saturated. 
I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  stay  with  the  wagon  and 
defend  it  and  myself  to  the  last.  Just  then,  however, 
we  were  joined  by  Daniel  Coete,  the  catechist  at  Bar 
men,  who  told  us  he  had  been  informed  by  the  rascals 
of  our  forlorn  condition,  and  of  their  determination  to 
put  me  to  death,  asking  him  at  the  same  time  to  turn 


24  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

back  with  them,  and  see  the  cruel  deed  executed.  But 
happily  he  possessed  some  'influence  with  them,  partly 
through  his  inoffensive  conduct,  and  partly  because  he 
was  himself  a  half  Namaqua  by  birth,  and  at  his  earnest 
entreaties,  therefore,  they  agreed  to  bring  their  com 
plaint  before  the  chief,  and  to  do  nothing  rashly  of  their 
own  accord.  Thus,  under  God,  this  good  man  was 
probably  the  means  of  saving  our  lives — mine*  at  least. 
That  night  we  slept  under  Daniel's  hospitable  roof,  or 
rather  rested,  for  it  can  hardly  be  supppsed  that  I  was 
able  to  sleep  after  a  day  of  such  fearful  peril  and  excite 
ment,  and  with  our  fate  still  undecided. 

I  no  longer  considered  my  life  in  immediate  danger; 
for  though  now  more  than  ever  at  the  mercy  of  my 
enemies,  I  felt  pretty  certain  that,  if  I  could  but  see 
and  speak  to  the  chief  personally,  I  should  be  able  to 
clear  myself  satisfactorily.  I  knew,  moreover,  that  the 
dead  man  was  far  from  being  liked  by  the  tribe,  whom 
his  reckless,  cruel,  and  lawless  conduct  had  gone  far  to 
disgrace,  and  that,  therefore,  his  death,  in  reality,  would 
be  regarded  as  a  boon  rather  than  a  loss  to  them.  Still 
he  was  a  Namaqua,  and  I  a  white  man  ;  more  than 
enough  to  prejudice  better-disposed  people  against  me 
than  those  ruled  by  an  Afrikaner,  even  though  I  had 
always  been  on  a  good  understanding  with  him. 

That  same  night  a  messenger  was  despatched  to  the 
chief,  informing  him  of  the  unlucky  deed,  and  request 
ing  his  presence  forthwith  writh  a  view  of  investigating 
the  case.  The  next  day  his  eldest  brother  John  arrived, 
he  whom  most  people  thought  best  suited  for  wielding 
the  chieftain's  staff.  John  Afrikaner  possessed  as  much 
cunning,  shrewdness,  and  determination  as  the  deceased 


UNEXPECTED   DELAY.  2$ 

father,  and  was  more  free  in  the  expression  of  his  feel 
ings.  Moreover,  he  was  the  only  one  of  a  numerous 
progeny  that  was  at  all  liked  by  the  enslaved  and  much 
abused  Damaras  ;  for  though  he  could  not  be  said  to 
treat  them  exactly  well,  yet  he  was  the  only  one  who 
would  occasionally  speak  in  their  behalf,  and  sometimes 
reprove  and  restrain  the  unbridled  license  and  cruelties 
of  his  fellows.  He  was  rather  liked  also  by  the  European 
settlers  in  this  country.  This  same  John,  who  was  at 
this  time  my  stanch  friend,  became  afterward  my  mor 
tal  enemy,  and,  as  the  sequel  will  show,  we  managed 
to  ruin  each  other  in  the  deadly  contest  that  not  long 
after  took  place. 

John  was  instructed  by  the  chief,  his  brother,  to 
escort  me  and  my  party  to  his  residence,  Schmelen's 
Hope,  of  which  place  frequent  mention  has  been  made 
in  my  former  narratives,  and  where  I  spent  some  very 
happy  days  at  one  period  of  my  erratic  life. 

I  was  in  great  hopes  that  the  chief  would  at  once 
have  entered  into  the  consideration  of  my  situation, 
but  though  he  received  me  very  kindly  and  hospitably, 
he  declared  that  nothing  could  be  done  with  my  case 
until  his  uncles  and  other  important  personages  had 
arrived — a  delay  of  some  time,  and  quite  unexpected, 
realizing  the  old  saw,  "  hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart 
sick."  But  everything  has  an  end,  and  thus  it  was  with 
my  anxiety.  After  a  week,  during  which  period  numer 
ous  raads  or  consultations  were  held  about  me,  I  was 
told  that  I  might  return  home  in  peace  with  an  un 
stained  character ;  that  it  would  perhaps  have  been 
better  (?)  if  I  had  left  it  to  them  to  punish  the  guilty 
man,  than  to  take  the  law  in  my  own  hands,  but  as  the 
2 


26  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

provocation  had  been  very  great  they  did  not  see  that 
I  was  seriously  to  blame.  The  deceased,  they  acknowl 
edged,  had  all  his  life  been  a  villain,  and  consequently 
richly  deserved  his  fate,  and  letters  would  be  written 
forthwith  to  the  neighboring  tribes,  explaining  the  mat 
ter  and  exonerating  me  from  blame.  Thus  ended  this 
most  tragical  affair,  which,  so  far  from  lowering  me  in 
the  estimation  of  the  Namaqua  nation,  not  only  pre 
served  my  prestige  among  them,  but  was  a  warning  to 
them  not  to  interfere  with  me  when  peaceably  occu 
pied.  It  is  true  some  were  inspired  with  a  deadly 
hatred  toward  me,  particularly  the  relatives  of  the 
deceased  ;  and  Christian  Afrikaner  confessed  secretly  as 
much.  In  fact,  though  he  had  succeeded  in  clearing 
my  conduct  with  the  tribe  at  large,  he  acknowledged 
he  could  not  answer  for  my  safety  when  once  I  left  his 
werft.  My  friend,  Daniel,  indorsed  the  chiefs  state 
ment,  and  assured  me  that,  though  no  open  danger  was 
any  longer  to  be  apprehended,  I  stood  every  chance 
of  having  my  brains  blown  out  from  behind  some  rock 
or  bush  ! 

I  must  not  here  omit  to  mention  that  on  the  news 
of  my  unpleasant  situation  reaching  Otjimbingue,  sev 
eral  of  my  acquaintances,  who  were  living  on  the  place 
at  the  time,  hastened  promptly  to  my  assistance.  I 
need  not  say  that  I  felt  much  pleasure  at  this  proof  of 
sympathy,  which  was  further  heightened  on  my  reach 
ing  home  by  finding  nearly  two  hundred  Damaras 
assembled  to  greet  my  safe  return.  Like  a  wise  gen 
eral,  who  leaves  nothing  to  chance,  I  had,  immediately 
on  my  arrival  at  Barmen,  secretly  sent  orders  to  my 
manager  at  Otjimbingue  to  collect  what  men  he  could, 


PROOFS   OF   SYMPATHY. 


to  be  ready  at  a  moment's  warning  to  hasten  to  my 
assistance  should  judgment  go  against  me,  as  it  was  of 
course  impossible  to  trust  implicitly  to  a  favorable  ver 
dict  from  the  Namaquas,  who,  I  thought,  in  such  a  case 
would  be  sure  to  be  more  or  less  prejudiced  against 
me. 


CHAPTER   III. 

Game  birds  of  South  Africa — The  Kori  bustard — Rufous-crested  bustard — 
Rupell's  bustard — Cape  Knorhaan  bustard — Cape  guinea-fowls — 
Great  travellers — The  chasse — SwainsorTs  Francolin — Double- 
banded  sand-grouse — Variegated  sand-grouse — Harlequin  quail — 
Little  quail — Painted  snipe — Common  snipe — Jack  snipe  and 
woodcock. 

MY  business  left  me  but  little  time  for  either  study, 
amusement,  or  recreation,  my  duties  were  so 
multifarious.  It  is  true  I  kept  a  clerk  and  storekeeper, 
but  I  always  made  a  point  of  checking  all  my  books  and 
accounts  personally,  and  as  business  often  called  me 
away  for  weeks,  nay,  months,  to  distant  posts  and  parts, 
I  was  not  unfrequently  greatly  in  arrears.  Thus  I 
remember  once  returning  home  with  several  months' 
extra  work  accumulated  on  my  hands  ;  indeed,  I  had 
to  work  by  nights  to  enable  me  to  get  through  all. 
This  was  very  harassing  and  fatiguing,  the  more  so  as 
for  more  than  one-half  of  the  year  my  labors  were  per 
formed  in  a  sweltering  atmosphere.  But  whenever  I 
could  snatch  a  moment  from  my  onerous  duties  it  was 
to  study  the  fauna  of  the  country,  which  afforded  me 
inexhaustible  delight  and  amusement. 

In  this  chapter,  however,  I  will  only  speak  of  the 
"  game  birds  "  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Otjimbingue  and 
elsewhere  in  Damaraland  and  the  adjacent  regions, 
feeling  assured  that  some  notice  of  them  will  prove 


THE   KORI   BUSTARD.  29 

more  or  less  interesting,  both  to  the  sportsman  and  the 
naturalist. 

I  will  commence  with  the  bustards,  of  which  there 
are  at  least  ten  species,  some  of  them  beautifully  plu- 
maged,  indigenous  to  Southern  Africa,  and  of  these, 
five  are  natives  of  Damara  and  Great  Namaqua  Lands, 
viz.  :  The  Kori  bustard  (Eupodotis  Kori,  Burch),  usually 
called  the  "  wilde pauw"  or  wild  peacock,  a  name,  how 
ever,  very  wrongly  applied  ;  the  rather  as  it  also  attaches 
to  the  Balearica  Negulorum,  or  southern-crowned  crane. 

The  splendid  bustard  in  question  is  thus  described 
by  Doctor  Burchell,  from  a  fine  specimen  shot  by  his 
party  :  "  The  under  part  of  the  body  was  white,  but  the 
upper  part  was  covered  with  fine  lines  of  black  on  a 
light  chestnut-colored  ground.  The  tail  and  quill- 
feathers  partook  of  the  general  coloring  of  the  back. 
The  shoulders  were  marked  with  large  blotches  of 
black  and  white,  and  the  top  of  the  head  was  black 
The  feathers  on  the  occiput  were  elongated  into  a  crest. 
Those  of  the  neck  were  also  elongated,  loose,  narrow  and 
pointed,  and  were  of  a  whitish  color,  marked  with  numer 
ous  transverse  lines  of  black.  The  irides  were  of  a 
beautiful  pellucid,  changeable,  silvery  ferruginous  color." 

Personally,  I  have  never  known  this  bird  to  exceed 
thirty  pounds  in  weight,  but  I  have  been  assured  on 
good  authority  that,  in  parts  of  the  free  states  and  the 
Transvaal  districts,  individuals  are  sometimes  killed 
very  considerably  larger.*  Usually,  however,  it  does 
not  weigh  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  pounds.  The 

*  A  bird  of  this  species  was  shot  by  Mr.  E.  C.  Buxton  (a  relative  of 
mine,  who  recently  visited  the  eastern  coast  of  Africa),  near  the  Labourbo 
mountains  to  the  north  of  Natal,  "weighing,"  he  says,  "near  forty 
pounds  !  " — ED. 


3O  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

spread  of  its  wings  is  about  eight  feet  four  inches.  Its 
flight  is  heavy,  but  nevertheless  very  rapid  ;  and  at 
night,  when  changing  its  feeding-ground,  it  may  be 
seen  flying  at  a  very  great  height. 

It  is  found  throughout  the  year,  in  both  Damara 
and  Great  Namaqualand ;  and  is  common,  indeed,  as 
far  as  Ondonga,  but  is  partially  migratory.  On  ex 
tended  plains,  its  usual  resorts,  one  often  sees  it  strut 
ting  about  with  its  head  erect,  and  looking  in  size  very 
much  like  a  young  ostrich. 

Its  food  consists  of  insects,  berries,  etc.,  and  it  is 
very  partial  to  the  sweet,  gummy  exudations  of  the 
low  mimosa  thorn,  so  abundant  in  Damaraland.  The 
flesh  is  very  tender  and  palatable,  and,  to  my  notion, 
about  the  best  of  all  the  South  African  game  birds. 

In  my  time  I  have  killed  many  of  these  noble  birds. 
Not,  however,  with  small  shot,  for  even  the  highest 
numbers  make  little  impression,  owing  to  their  bodies 
being  so  thickly  protected  by  feathers,  but  with  a  rifle  ; 
though  even  with  that  weapon,  from  their  extreme  shy 
ness  and  difficulty  of  approach,  it  is  is  considered  rather 
a  dexterous  exploit  to  bag  one  of  them. 

The  rufous-crested  bustard  (Eupodotis  mficrista, 
Smith). 

Measurement  of  a  Male.* 

In.  Lines. 

Entire  length     .  .  .  .  .  17       9 

Length  of  folded  wing   .  .  .  .  10      8 

Length  of  tarsus  ....  3       2 

Length  of  middle  toe     ....  I       9 

Length  of  tail    .....  66 

Length  of  bill    .  .  .  .  .  in 

*  Naturalists  vary  somewhat  as  to  the  size  of  this  bird.  Andersson, 
as  seen  above,  gives  its  length  as  17  inches  9  lines,  breadth  of  wing  10 


RUFOUS-CRESTED   BUSTARD.  31 

Top  of  head,  neck,  and  upper  part  of  chest,  bluish- 
ash,  darkest  on  the  head  ;  ground  color  of  black,  deep 
rufous  mottled  with  deep  brown  and  black  ;  the  pre 
vailing  markings  on  this  .part  are  of  a  rufous  color  > 
shaped,  with  a  black  centre — chin  and  sides  of  head, 
dirty  white ;  head  crested ;  crest,  deep  ferruginous, 
under  parts  all  black.  The  irides  are  grayish-brown, 
with  a  whitish-yellow  ring  next  the  pupil — this  ring  is 
sometimes  tinged  with  orange. 

I  have  met  with  this  species  pretty  often  in  Great 
Namaqualand,  and  also,  but  less  frequently,  in  South 
ern  Damaraland.  It  is  usually  found  on  open  ground 
thinly-covered  with  dwarf  bush.* 

Rupell's  bustard  (Eupodotis  Ruppellii,  Wahl). 

In.  Lines. 

Entire  length  about       .  .  .  •  20       o 

Bill  from  forehead          ....  15 

inches  8  lines,  and  tail  6  inches  9  lines  ;  whereas  Dr.  Smith,  a  very  high 
authority,  makes  out  its  length  to  be  22  inches,  wing  10%  inches,  and  tail 
5^  inches.  Much,  however,  I  should  remark,  depends  on  the  locality 
where  the  bird  from  whom  the  measurement  is  taken  was  killed,  as  in 
certain  districts  of  the  eastern  coast  of  Africa,  for  instance,  the  Kori  bus 
tard,  and  probably  others  of  that  species,  attain  by  all  accounts  to  a  greater 
size  than  in  Damaraland  and  adjacent  parts. — ED. 

*  Mr.  Buxton,  whom  I  have  just  quoted,  says  of  this  bird,  "  It  is  com 
mon  over  Bomba,  that  is  between  Transvaal  and  the  coast,  and  arises 
from  the  ground  like  gray-hen.  I  could  not  believe  it  was  anything  else 
till  I  had  it  in  my  hand." 

And  Ayres,  "  They  appear  to  be  solitary  in  their  habits,  lie  close,  and 
rise  very  silently,  in  the  evening  they  utter  a  melancholy  note  '  goo,  goo/ 
often  and  slowly  repeated.  When  I  first  heard  their  note  I  thought  it 
must  be  that  of  an  owl." 

Dr.  Smith  further  informs  us  that  "  Insects,  small  lizards,  and  scolo- 
pendra  seem  to  constitute  its  favorite  food." — ED. 


32  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

In.  Lines. 
Wing  from  carp  joint    .  .  .  .  123 

Tail      .  .  .  .  .  .  60 

Tarsus    .  .  .  .  .  .          .  2       9 

Mid.  toe  with  claw         .  .  .  .  i       o 


General  color  of  the  upper  parts  (including  wings 
and  tail),  pale  fulvous,  tranversely  vermiculated  with 
numerous  irregular  and  very  narrrow  black  markings, 
the  fulvous  color  intermixed  with  bluish-gray  on  the 
crown  of  the  head  and  the  back  of  the  neck,  the  first 
four  primaries  brownish  black,  except  at  the  base, 
where  they  are  yellowish-white. 

A  black  streak  running  from  the  bill  above  the  eye 
and  down  the  nape  of  the  neck,  a  narrower  white  streak 
above  this,  immediately  over  the  eye.  A  white  mark 
round  the  eye,  cheeks  resembling  the  crown  of  the 
head,  ear  coverts  blackish,  between  the  ear  coverts  and 
the  black-marked  stripe,  a  white  band  reaching  in  one 
direction  to  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  on  the  other  to 
below  the  lower  mandible.  Skin,  throat,  and  part  of 
neck  black,  edged  with  white  on  the  sides.  Breast  and 
belly  dirty  white,  under  tail-coverts  pale  brown,  legs 
and  toes  pale  yellow.  Bill  brown. 

The  Cape  Knorhaan  bustard  (Eupodotis  Afra, 
Gmel.)  is  in  length  nineteen  inches,  the  wing  twelve 
inches,  and  the  tail  five  inches.  The  top  of  head,  back, 
part  of  wings  and  tail  brown-black  varying  in  intensity, 
and  crossed  with  irregular  streaks  of  rufous,  paling  into 
white.  Stripe  over  the  eyes  reaching  to  the  back  of 
the  head.  Ear  coverts,  half  collar  on  back  of  neck  and 
part  of  wings  pure  white,  the  rest  of  the  plumage  deep 
black,  legs  bright  yellow.  The  female  differs  from  the 


CAPE   KNORHAAN   BUSTARD.  33 

male  in  having  the  whole  of  the  head,  neck,  and  breast 
of  the  same  color  and  markings  as  the  back. 

This  species  is  plentiful  in  Great  Namaqualand,  and 
is  not  uncommon  in  some  of  the  more  open  parts  ot 
Southern  Damaraland.  I  have  also  frequently  met 
with  it  to  the  south  of  the  Orange  river,  though  at  no 
great  distance  from  it,  but  never  to  the  north  of  that 
stroam.  It  is  partial  to  slightly  undulating  ground 
abounding  in  bowlders  and  loose  stones,  and  is  usually 
found  in  pairs.  *When  disturbed,  it  utters  a  succession 
of  quick  harsh  notes,  and  crows  not  unlike  a  corn-crake 
on  taking  wing,  but  in  a  much  lower  strain.  The  eggs 
of  this  bustard  are  of  a  dark  greenish  drab,  more  or  less 
profusely  spotted  and  blotched  with  brown. 

The  black  and  white-winged  bustard  (Eupodvtis 
Afroides,  Smith)  resembles  the  preceding  in  every 
respect  except  the  great  distinguishing  mark,  viz.,  on 
opening  the  wings  the  quill-feathers  of  this  species 
will  be  found  with  a  large  blaze  of  white  on  them,  while 
those  of  the  E.  Afra  are  entirely  black. 

Its  size  is  "  about  that  of  an  old  cock  grouse,"  its 
neck  and  legs  long,  like  those  of  the  ostrich,  and  its 
wings,  as  the  name  of  the  bird  denotes,  black  and 
white.  On  taking  wing  the  male  becomes  outrageously 
noisy,  flying  over  the  plain  in  circles,  much  after  the 
manner  of  the  green  plover,  or  pewit,  uttering  the 
while  a-harsh  grating  cry,  and  at  times  rising  vertically 
to  a  considerable  height,  often  descending  as  abruptly. 
It  is  a  great  nuisance  to  the  hunter,  who  is  frequently 
done  out  of  his  quarry  by  its  sudden  and  noisy  appari 
tion.  Two  nests  of  this  bustard  found  by  me  at  Oma- 
pigu,  in  January  1867,  contained  each  two  eggs. 


34  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

The  wild  guinea-fowl,  commonly  called  by  the  col 
onists  the  pintado  (Nitmitfa  connita,  Finsch  and  Hartl.), 
which  probably  derives  its  name  from  an  allied  species, 
having  been  first  met  with  on  the  coast  of  Guinea,  and 
which  differs  but  little  from  the  domestic  race,  though 
perhaps  somewhat  larger,  was  another  of  our  game 
birds.  It  abounds  both  in  Damara  and  Great  Nama- 
qualand,  as  also  from  the  Orange  river  in  the  south  to 
Okavango  in  the  north,  and  is  common,  moreover,  in 
the  Lake  regions. 

It  is  a  highly  gregarious  bird,  especially  during  the 
dry  season,  when  it  is  not  unfrequently  met  with  in 
flocks  of  several  hundreds.  On  a  certain  occasion, 
indeed,  I  saw  upward  of  a  thousand  collected  in  one 
spot,  which  was  one  of  the  prettiest  sights  I  have  had 
the  good  fortune  to  witness. 

These  wonderful  congregations  usually  occur  in  the 
immediate  neighborhood  of  waters  of  small  extent.  It 
is  quite  evident  that  were  such  a  mass  of  birds  to  make 
a  simultaneous  rush  at  the  precious  liquid,  there  would 
be  much  confusion,  and  comparatively  few  would  be 
enabled  to  satisfy  their  thirst  ;  but  on  the  contrary, 
they  go  to  work  most  systematically,  and  it  is  very 
interesting  to  watch  their  proceedings.  The  first 
comers  enter  the  well,  or  hole,  as  the  case  may  be,  and 
having  rapidly  and  dexterously  taken  their  fill,  they 
make  their  exit  in  a  different  direction,  if  possible,  from 
that  by  which  they  came.  In  the  meantime  the  out 
siders  gradually  and  surely  approach,  and  the  ring  is 
thus  narrowed  by  a  steady  progressive  movement  of 
the  whole.  A  batch  of  fresh  comers  never  attempt  to 
force  their  way  among  those  which  are  present,  but 


WILD   GUINEA-FOWL.  35 

remain  quietly  on  the  outside  of  the  ring  until  it  is 
their  turn. 

These  birds  are  great  travellers,  often  going  over 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  in  the  course  of  the  day,  but 
always  returning,  if  possible,  to  the  water  at  night ;  so 
that  by  judiciously  dogging  their  steps,  the  thirsty  trav 
eller  may  often  find  the  desired  pool  ;  though  implicit 
reliance  should  never  be  placed  on  this  mode  of  obtain 
ing  water.  They  usually  rest  for  awhile  about  noon 
under  some  mimosa  trees,  resuming  the  journey  when 
the  greatest  heat  is  over. 

A  flock  of  guinea-fowl  is  in  general  discovered  by 
their  sharp,  discordant,  and  metallic  cries,  something 
like  a  rapid  succession  of  blows  struck  upon  iron.  They 
have  many  enemies,  and  seek  security  at  night  by  roost 
ing  in  tall  mimosa  trees. 

They  feed  on  grasses,  seeds,  and  insects  ;  but  chiefly 
on  small  bulbs,  which  are  also  eagerly  sought  for  by  all 
gallinaceous  birds,  and  which  grow  very  abundantly 
throughout  the  country. 

The  nests  of  these  birds,  which  may  be  found  from 
the  end  of  December  to  May,  consist  merely  of  a  slight 
rounded  depression  in  the  ground.  It  usually  contains 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  eggs  of  a  pale  buff  color,  some 
times  speckled  with  pale  gray. 

These  are  not  unfrequently  placed  by  the  colonists 
and  others  under  domestic  fowl,  and  the  young  are  not 
difficult  to  rear;  but  as  they  grow  up,  their  propensity 
to  roosting  in  high  trees  is  rapidly  developed,  much  to 
the  distress  of  their  foster-mother,  who  is  unable  to 
follow  them  to  their  lofty  perch. 

I  have  also  known  chicks  of  this  bird,  captured  in  a 


36  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

wild  state,  to  be  reared  ;  but  in  no  one  instance,  so  far 
as  I  am  aware,  have  these  chicks,  when  arrived  at  ma 
turity,  brought  up  families  of  their  own. 

The  flesh  of  the  young  wild  guinea-fowl  is  very 
white,  tender,  and  well-flavored  ;  but  that  of  the  old 
one  is  far  from  tempting. 

This  bird  not  only  furnished  me  with  many  a  meal, 
but  excellent  sport.  With  management,  indeed,  any 
number  may  be  shot  in  a  day.  To  give  some  idea  of 
this,  I  may  mention  that  one  evening  we  had  started 
an  immense  flock  near  the  water,  and  thinking  it  a  favor 
able  opportunity  of  replenishing  our  exhausted  larder, 
I  slung  a  double  shot-gun  over  my  shoulder  and  started 
in  pursuit.  But  though  I  soon  found  the  quarry,  they 
were  so  wild  that  for  a  long  time  I  could  not  get  with 
in  range.  At  last,  and  after  having  chased  them  about 
the  rocks  till  I  was  nearly  tired,  they  scattered  them 
selves  among  the  stones,  and  lay  so  close  that,  unless 
I  almost  trod  on  them,  they  would  not  rise.  With  a 
steady  pointer,  it  is  my  belief  the  whole  flock  might 
have  been  killed.  As  it  was,  I  made  a  very  large  bag. 
We  had  another  fine  game-bird,  the  francolin,  a 
kind  of  grouse  (called  by  the  colonists  and  others,  the 
pheasant),  that  frequently  afforded  me,  not  only  capital 
shooting,  but  a  delicacy  for  the  table.  There  are  sev 
eral  species  of  this  bird,  of  which  the  following  came 
under  my  notice  ;  viz.  : 

Swainson's  francolin  (Pternises  Swainsonii,  Smith). 
In  travelling  northward  I  first  met  with  this  powerful 
and  somewhat  coarse  francolin,  at  the  southern  extrem 
ity  of  Omuveroom,  where  it  occurred  sparingly,  but 
became  more  common  as  I  proceeded  further  north, 


THE  FRANCOLIN.  37 

till,  on  the  banks  of  the  Okavango  river  I  found  it  quite 
abundant.  It  frequents  grassy  localities,  sprinkled 
with  brush-wood,  generally,  but  not  always,  selecting 
the  neighborhood  of  springs,  streams,  or  marshes.  It 
feeds  in  open  spots,  but  retires  to  the  jungle  on  the  first 
approach  of  danger,  chiefly  trusting  to  its  legs  to  effect 
a  retreat.  It  always  roosts  in  trees,  and  occasionally 
perches  on  them  by  day  ;  in  the  early  morning  and 
evening  it  utters  frequent  harsh  cries.  The  young  of 
this  francolin  are  strong  on  the  wing  about  the  month 
of  May.  » 

The  iris  of  this  species  is  dark  brown  ;  the  loose 
and  bare  skin  around  the  eyes  and  on  the  chin  and 
throat,  pale  red,  and  the  same  color  tinges  the  lower 
mandible  of  the  bill  and  the  base  of  the  upper  ;  the 
remainder  of  the  latter  being  a  dark  horn  color,  lightest 
at  the  tip. 

The  Orange  river  francolin  (Scleroptera  gariepensis, 
Smith).  This  beautiful  francolin  was  only  met  by  me 
on  the  high  table-land  of  Great  Namaqua  and  Damara 
Lands,  where  it  is  frequently  very  abundant.  The 
covey  usually  consists  of  six  or  eight  individuals,  though 
sometimes jas  few  as  three,  but  at  others  of  as  many  as 
fourteen. 

These  francolins  invariably  frequent  glassy  slopes 
sprinkled  with  dwarf  bush.  .They  lie  very  close,  and 
after  having  been  once  or  twice  flushed,  are  not  easily 
found  again,  even  with  the  assistance  of  dogs. 

The  iris  is  brown  ;  the  bill  horn-color,  except  near 
the  base,  where  it  is  yellowish. 

Dr.  Smith's  figure  of  the  female  of  this  species,  it  is 
to  be  remarked,  is  altogether  too  dull;  for  although 


38  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

the  tints  in  the  female  are  not  so  deep  as  in  the  male, 
they  are  still  exceedingly  rich  and  bright. 

The  Cogui  francolin  (Scleroptcra  subtorquata,  Smith). 
I  only  met  with  this  bird  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Okavango  river,  where  it  is  found  in  coveys,  on  grassy 
plains  interspersed  with  large  trees  and  brushwood. 
As  with  the  last  named,  it  is  difficult  to  get  on  the 
wing  unless  with  the  assistance  of  a  dog,  and  even  then 
it  is  not  always  easy.  It  roosts  on  the  ground,  and 
utters  a  shrill,  but  not  unpleasant  call-note  in  the  early 
morning  and  also  toward  evening. 

The  iris  is  reddish-brown  ;  the  bill  dark  horn-color  ; 
angle  of  the  mouth  lemon-colored,  which  is  also  the 
color  of  the  tarsus. 

The  pileated  francolin  (Scleroptcra  Pilcata,  Smith). 
It  was  when  travelling  northward  I  first  met  with  this 
francolin,  on  the  stony  and  wooded  slopes  above  Okam- 
bute,  in  northern  Damaraland,  but  subsequently  I  ob 
served  it  to  the  north  of  that  locality.  It  occurs  in 
coveys,  and  its  flesh  it  very  palatable. 
The  iris  js  brownish. 

The  red-billed  francolin  (Sclcroplera  adspcrsa, 
Waterhouse).  This,  the  most  common  and  abundant 
francolin  in  Damara  and  Great  Namaqua  Lands,  is 
usually  met  with  in  coveys,  which,  in  favorable  seasons, 
not  uncommonly  consist  of  from  ten  to  fourteen  indi 
viduals.  This  species  is  seldom  found  at  any  consider 
able  distance  from  perodical  streams,  and  on  the  least 
approach  to  danger,  seeks  shelter  in  the  trees  and  bushes 
with  which  their  banks  are  generally  studded.  It, 
indeed,  lives  much  in  trees,  roosting  among  the  branches 
by  night,  and  resting  there  during  the  heat  of  the  day. 


RED-BILLED   FRANCOLIX.  39 

These  francolins  run  with  extraordinary  swiftness, 
and  will  not  use  their  wings  unless  very  hard  pressed  ; 
and  when  they  do  fly,  it  is  with  the  view  of  concealing 
themselves  among  the  thickest  branches  of  some  con 
venient  tree,  where  they  remain  perfectly  motionless, 
and  should  it  be  a  full  foliaged  tree  in  which  they  have 
taken  refuge,  it  requires  a  good  and  practised  eye  to 
detect  them  ;  but  when  the  danger  is  over,  they  gener 
ally  again  seek  the  ground. 

The  feeding  time  of  these  birds  is  the  earjy  morn 
ing  and  the  cool  of  the  evening.  Their  food,  as  with 
the  other  francolins,  consists  of  small  bulbs,  seeds,  ber 
ries,  insects,  etc. 

Their  notes  are  harsh,  and  so  loud  that  they  maybe 
heard  at  a  great  distance  ;  they  resemble  a  succession 
of  hysterical  laughs,  at  first  slow,  but  increasing  in 
rapidity  and  strength  till  they  suddenly  cease. 

The  female  is  smaller  than  the  male  ;  she  deposits 
her  eggs  in  a  hollow  in  the  ground  without  any  lining. 

The  iris  is  dark  brown  ;  the  bare  skin  round  the  eye 
pale  yellow  ;  the  bill  and  legs  in  the  adult  bird  are  a 
rich  warm  red  ;  the  toes  and  spurs  of  the  male  are  pur 
ple.  In  very  young  birds  the  bill  is  dark  purple,  and 
the  color  of  the  legs  is  much  paler  than  in  the  adult. 

Numberless  francolins,  more  especially  of  the  last- 
named  species,  fell  to  my  gun  in  Africa,  and  for 
the  most  part  to  a  splendid  pea-rifle  by  Purdy.  On 
one  occasion,  indeed,  I  bagged  with  it  thirty-three  of 
these  birds  without  missing  a  single  shot.  They  were 
"  treed,"  it  is  true  ;  but  I  still  thought  it  rather  a  feat, 
as  from  the  habit  of  concealing  themselves  behind  the 
stem  and  branches,  little  more  than  the  head  or  tail 


40  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

was  often  to  be  seen,  and  as  a  consequence,  the  posi 
tion  of  their  bodies  was  only  to  be  guessed  at. 

Francolins  would  seem  to  be  equally  as  numerous  in 
CafTraria  as  in  Great  Namaqua  and  Damara  Lands ;  for 
Delegorgue  tells  us  (though  without  naming  the  par 
ticular  species)  "  that  with  a  few  charges  of  small  shot 
he  could  always  obtain  a  sufficient  number  of  these 
birds  for  the  wants  of  himself  and  party  ;  and  that  had 
ammunition  been  more  abundant,  and  had  he  felt  inter 
est  in  the  sport,  two  hundred  might  easily  have  been 
killed  in  a  day." 

The  sand-grouse,  commonly  called  the  Namaqua 
partridge,  was  another  of  our^ame  birds,  but  not  being, 
to  my  taste,  particularly  good  eating,  it  was  but  seldom 
that  I  went  in  pursuit  of  it.  There  are  several  species 
of  this  bird  in  Southern  Africa,  of  which  three  were 
well-known  to  me,  viz. : 

The  double-banded  sand-grouse  (Pterocles  bicinctus, 
Tern.),  the  most  common,  perhaps,  in  Damara  and  Great 
Namaqua  Land. 

The  eggs  of  this  species  are  from  two  to  three  in 
number,  laid  upon  the  bare  sand,  and  of  a  pinkish-yel 
low  color,  spotted  with  gray  and  reddish-brown. 

The  iris  is  deep  red  ;  the  skin  round  the  eye  chrome- 
yellow  ;  the  bill  yellowish-brown  ;  the  legs  and  toes  pale 
dull  yellow. 

The  variegated  sand-grouse  ( Pterocles  variegatus, 
Burch).  This  species  is  not  uncommon  in  the  northern 
and  middle  parts  of  Damaraland,  as  well  as  in  the  Lake 
regions ;  but  I  do  not  recollect  having  met  with  it 
further  to  the  south. 

The  Namaqua  sand-grouse  (Pteroclurus  Namaqua, 


SAND-GROUSE.  4! 

Gmel.),  is  very  abundant  in  some  parts  of  Damara- 
land. 

Its  eggs  are  deposited  on  the  sand,  and  are  of  a 
drabbish  color,  closely  spotted  with  gray  and  brown  ; 
they  are  oval,  and  less  elongated  than  those  of  the  P. 
bicinctus. 

The  iris  is  very  dark  brown  ;  the  skin  round  the  eye 
is  a  somewhat  pale  yellow ;  the  bill  is  bluish,  tinged 
with  white  on  the  lower  mandible. 

Measurement  of  a  Female. 

In.  Lines. 

Entire  length     .  .  .  .  .  .  II       O 

Length  of  folded  wing  .  .  .  .  65 

Length  of  tarsus  .  .  .  ,     .  on 

Length  of  middle  toe  .  .  .  .  °       9 

Length  of  tail      .  .  .  ,  36 

Length  of  bill      .  .  .  .  07 

Ordinarily,  the  several  species  of  sand-grouse  spoken 
of  are  met  with  in  pairs,  or  two  or  three  together,  dis 
persed  over  sandy  plains,  where  they  seek  their  suste 
nance  ;  but  in  the  dry  season,  when  the  rain-pools  are 
exhausted,  they,  morning  and  evening,  resort  in  large 
flocks  to  permanent  waters  to  quench  their  thirst, 
announcing  their  arrival  and  departure  by  incessant 
sharp  cries.  They  usually  make  their  appearance  at 
about  eight  or  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  circling 
round  the  fountain  at  a  considerable  height  before  they 
descend,  and  adding  to  their  number  at  almost  every 
turn  they  take.  Frequently  they  make  no  attempt  at 
alighting,  until  directly  over  the  spot  they  intend  to 
visit,  when  they  descend  with  great  velocity,  at  the 
same  time  describing  more  or  less  of  a  semicircle  before 


42  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL 

they  alight.  And  when  thus  congregated  at  the  water, 
they  conduct  themselves  in  a  like  orderly  manner  as 
the  guinea-fowl  spoken  of  a  few  pages  back,  viz.,  they 
do  not  rush  simultaneously  to  the  pool,  but  each  one 
waits  its  turn,  the  first  comers  having  the  precedence. 
And  as  with  the  guinea-fowl,  the  traveller,  by  watching 
the  flight  of  these  birds  at  morn  or  even,  is  often 
guided  to  the  water. 

Their  food  consists  of  seeds,  berries,  and  small 
bulbs,  with  which  they  mingle  considerable  quantities 
of  sand  to  assist  digestion. 

When  the  sand-grouse  are  collected  at  their  drink- 
ing-places,  any  numbers  may  be  shot.  I  have  heard 
indeed  of  fifteen  or  twenty  being  slaughtered  at  a  single 
discharge. 

The  European  quail  (Coturnix  communis,  Bonn),  is 
not  uncommon  in  middle  and  southern  Damaraland. 
During  the  year  1865,  countless  numbers  of  these  birds 
arrived  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cape  Town,  while  much 
of  the  rest  of  the  colony,  which  had  suffered  severely 
from  drought,  was  nearly  denuded  of  them. 

The  Harlequin  quail  (Coturnix Delcgorgues,  Deleg.), 
was  killed  by  me  for  the  first  time  on  the  3Oth  of  March, 
1867.  Mr.  Chapman  also  obtained  it  at  Lake  Ngami. 

The  iris  of  this  species  is  the  color  of  new  leather 
when  well  browned  by  exposure  ;  the  bill  nearly  black, 
but  the  point  of  the  upper  mandible  is  light  horn-color; 
the  legs  and  toes  are  dusky. 

The  Little  quail  (KuricJtane  Hemipode]  is  not  un 
common  in  Great  Namaqualand  during  the  rainy  sea 
son  ;  but  I  have  never  found  many  of  these  birds 
together,  and  it  is  rarely  that  more  than  one  of  them  is 


QUAILS.  43 

flushed  at  a  time.  Their  favorite  resorts  are  rank 
grassy  spots  in  the  neighborhood  of  temporary  rain 
pools  and  periodical  water-courses  ;  here  they  run  about 
with  great  celerity,  and  hard  pressed,  lie  so  close  as 
almost  to  allow  themselves  to  be  trodden  on  before 
they  take  wing,  after  which  it  is  nearly  impossible  to 
flush  them  a  second  time.  They  feed' on  insects  and 
seeds. 

The  iris  is  lemon-colored,  the  bill  blue,  with  the  tip 
of  the  mandible  dark  horn-color ;  the  tarsi  and  feet 
flesh-colored  white. 

In.  Lines. 

Entire  length          .  .  .  .  .58 

Length  of  folded  wing  .  .  .  .         2     10 

Length  of  tarsus  .  .  ,  .010 

Length  of  middle  toe  .  .  .  .        O       6 

Length  of  tail  .  .  .  .15 

Length  of  bill  ,  .  .  .08 

The  snipes  were  also  among  our  game  birds.  At 
least  the  African  painted  snipe  (Rynchcsa  Capensis, 
Linn.). 

Measurement  of  a  Male. 

In.  Lines. 

Entire  length      .  .  .  ,  .  92 

Length  of  folded  wing  .  .  .  ..49 

Length  of  tarsus  .  .  .  .  i       9 

Length  of  middle  toe     .  .  .  .  15 

Length  of  tail  .  •  '".'•  •  I       9 

Length  of  bill    .  .  .  .  .  I     10 

The  head  of  this  bird  is  brown,  slightly  variegated 
with  white,  a  yellow  stripe  passes  from  the  base  of  the 
bill  over  the  centre  of  the  head  to  the  back  of  the 
neck,  a  similar  stripe  rises  immediately  in  front  of  each 


44  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

eye,  passing  to  the  back  of  the  head,  two  similar  stripes, 
bordered  by  black,  extend  from  the  shoulders  down 
the  back  to  the  root  of  the  tail  ;  neck  grayish-brown, 
barred  finely  on  the  back  portion  with  dark  brown,  on 
the  anterior  portion  more  coarsely  with  the  same  color  : 
it  is  likewise  bisected  by  a  white  collar  ;  under  parts  all 
white,  back  beautifully  marked  with  transverse  black, 
white,  and  gray  bars,  the  wings  with  numerous  semi- 
ocelli,  which  are  yellow  edged  with  black  ;  when  ex 
tended  they  expose  numerous  yellow  or  white  ocelli, 
also  edged  with  black,  and  also  numerous  black  wavy 
transverse  bars,  chiefly  on  a  slate-colored  ground,  the 
tail  being  similarly  marked. 

The  female,  eye  stripe  pure  white,  chin  dirty  white, 
neck  and  breast  deep  dull  rufous,  succeeded  by  a  broad 
black  collar,  and  pure  white  on  the  under  part,  broken 
only  by  a  patch  of  black  on  each  side ;  the  plumage  of 
the  back  is  much  darker  than  on  the  male,  and  the 
wings,  when  closed,  instead  of  having  the  black  and 
yellow  markings  of  the  male,  are  a  shining  green,  trans 
versely  and  minutely  barred  with  black,  all  lustrously 
with  metallic  green,  legs  green,  bill  red  at  the  tip,  iris 
hazel. 

This  bird,  though  only  found  sparingly  in  Great  Na- 
maqua,  was  common  in  Damaraland,  a  pair  or  two 
being  always  met  with  wherever  the  ground  was 
swampy ;  it  is  also  pretty  common  in  all  the  water-sheds 
to  the  north  and  east  on  the  last-named  country;  as 
also  in  Ondonga,  where  it  breeds. 

Though  partial  to  marshy  ground,  this  species  is 
also  found  on  the  side  of  little  rills  and  running  springs, 
it  lies  close  like  common  snipe,  but  its  flight  is  very  dif- 


AFRICAN  PAINTED   SNIPE.  45 

fercnt,  being  heavy  and  comparatively  slow,  and  when 
flushed  it  flies  but  short  distances  before  again  alight 
ing.  It  lives  singly  or  in  pairs  ;  but  a  dozen  may  some 
times  be  found  scattered  .over  a  small  marsh  within  a 
short  distance  of  each  other.  It  would  seem  to  feed 
chiefly  on  insects  ;  the  flesh  is  very  palatable. 

The  painted  snipe  makes  no  nests  ;  the  female  de 
posits  her  eggs — three  to  four  in  number,  and  of  a  very 
dark  color,  freely  blotched  with  black — near  to  the 
water. 

Though  the  double  or  solitary  snipe  (Gallinago 
major,  Gmel.)  is  a  regular  migrator  to  Natal  and  the 
Transvaal  Republic  (arriving  in  the  former  country  in 
September  or  October,  and  leaving  again  in  January 
or  February)  I  am  very  doubtful  if  it  be  indigenous,  or 
even  a  visitor  to  Great  Namaqua  or  Damaraland,  as  I 
never  met  with  or  even  heard  speak  of  it  in  either  of 
those  countries.  The  only  specimen  of  this  bird,  indeed, 
that  came  into  my  possession  while  in  Southern  Africa, 
was  at  Ondonga  (Ovampo  Land)  in  1867. 

I  have  very  great  doubts,  moreover,  of  the  common 
snipe  (G.  Scolopacend]  being  a  native  of,  or  even  a 
migrate  of  Damaraland  and  the  adjacent  regions.  At 
one  time,  it  is  true,  I  was  of  a  different  opinion  ;  this 
was  when  encamped  at  Omonbonde,  waiting  for  the 
rains  to  enable  me  to  penetrate  into  the  far  interior. 
In  the  extensive  marsh  at  that  place  both  ducks  and 
snipes  were  pretty  plentiful,  and  afforded  me  many  a 
good  meal.  At  that  time,  however,  I  was  simple 
enough  to  imagine  the  snipes  I  then  shot  were  of  the 
common  kind,  and  therefore  neglected  to  preserve  speci 
mens  ;  but  since  then  I  have  had  reason  to  believe 


46  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

that  I  was  mistaken,  and  that  they  might  have  been 
examples  of  the  South  African  snipe  (G.  nigrepennes], 
which  bears  a  very  considerable  resemblance  to  the  G. 
Scolopacena. 

Neither  the  jack  snipe  (G.  Gallinuld),  nor  its  con 
gener,  the  woodcock,  I  may  add,  ever  came  under  my 
notice  either  in  Damaraland  or  elsewhere  in  Southern 
Africa. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

» 

Vultures — Power  of  scenting  their  prey  at  a  distance — Sir  Samuel 
Baker's  theory — Extraordinary  field  of  vision — Waterton's  theory — 
Andersson's  theory— The  Marabou  stork — The  ostrich — New  spe 
cies — Chase  of  ostriches  by  Namaquas — Pursuit  of  ostriches  on 
horseback — Hottentot  expedient  for  carrying  off  ostrich  eggs. 

O  PEAKING  of  birds,  I  would  say  a  few  words  regard- 
O  ing  the  vulture,  or  rather  on  the  much  vexed  ques 
tion  as  to  whether  it  is  directed  to  its  food  by  scent  or 
sight,  regarding  which  various  opinions  have  been  haz 
arded.  M.  -  — ,  for  instance,  as  will  be  seen,  advocates 
the  former.  He  writes  as  follows  : 

4<  One  day  when  standing  outside  a  farm-house  in 
company  with  my  friend,  Charles  Bainbridge,  as  I  was 
casually  casting  my  eyes  heavenward,  I  perceived  little 
specks  in  the  sky,  which  gradually  became  larger  and 
larger.  Drawing  my  host's  attention  to  these  objects, 
and  asking  for  explanation,  he  quietly  remarked,  *  they 
are  vultures,  evidently  scenting  some  carcass  ;  let  us 
go  in  the  direction  they  are  hovering  over  and  descend 
ing.'  After  a  short  walk  we  came  upon  two  sick  sheep. 
'  These,'  remarked  my  friend,  '  are  what  the  birds  are 
looking  for.'  It  seemed  to  me  incredible  that  a  bird  at. 
that  enormous  height  should  be  able  to  distinguish  any 
thing,  and  much  more  between  an  animal  lying  down, 
and  one  in  the  same  situation,  but  sick.  Nevertheless, 
the  farmer,  accustomed  to  these  sights,  was  right,  for 


48  .  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

on  removing  the  suffering  brutes  to  the  homestead,  the 
vultures  gradually  began  to  rise,  and  as  quickly  disap 
peared  as  they  had  appeared. 

Sir  Samuel  Baker,  on  the  contrary,  though  admit 
ting  that  scent  often  aids  the  vulture,  would  seem  to  be 
clearly  of  opinion  that  it  is  chiefly  by  sight  that  it  is 
guided  to  the  carcass ;  he  says  : 

'•'  A  question  has  been  frequently  discussed  whether 
the  vulture  is  directed  to  his  prey  by  the  sense  of  smell 
or  by  keenness  of  vision.  I  have  paid  much  attention 
to  their  habits,  and,  although  there  can  be  no  question 
that  their  ptnver  of  scent  is  great,  I  feel  convinced  that 
all  birds  of  prey  are  attracted  to  their  food  principally 
by  their  acuteness  of  sight.  If  a  vulture  were  blind  it 
would  starve  ;  but  were  the  nostrils  plugged  up  with 
some  foreign  substance  to  destroy  the  power  of  smell, 
it  would  not  materially  interfere  with  its  usual  mode 
of  hunting;  scent  is  always  stronger  near  the  surface 
of  the  ground  ;  thus  hyenas,  lions,  and  other  beasts  of 
prey,  will  scent  a  carcass  for  a  long  distance,  provided 
they  are  to  leeward,  but  the  same  animals  would  be 
unaware  of  the  presence  of  the  body  if  they  were  but  a 
short  distance  to  windward. 

"  If  birds  of  prey  trusted  to  their  nostrils,  they  would 
keep  as  near  to  the  ground  as  possible,  like  the  carrion 
crow,  which,  I  believe,  is  the  exception  that  proves  the 
rule.  It  is  an  astonishing  sight  to  witness  the  sudden 
arrival  of  vultures  at  the  death  of  an  animal,  when  a 
few  moments  before  not  a  bird  has  been  in  sight  in  the 
cloudless  sky.  I  have  frequently  lain  down  beneath  a 
bush,  after  having  shot  an  animal,  to  watch  the  arrival 


THE   VULTURE.  49 

of  the  various  species  of    birds  in  regular    succession. 
They  invariably  appear  in  the  following  order: 

'No.  i.  The  black  and  white  crow;  this  knowing 
individual  is  most  industrious  in  seeking  for  his  food, 
and  is  generally  to  be  seen  either  perched  upon  rocks 
or  upon  trees.  I  believe  he  trusts  much  to  his  sense 
of  smell,  as  he  is  never  far  from  the  ground,  while  at 
the  same  time  he  keeps  a  vigilant  look-out  with  a  very 
sharp  pair  of  eyes. 

"  No.  2  is  the  common  buzzard  ;  this  bird,  so  well- 
known  for  its  extreme  daring,  is  omnipresent,  and  trusts 
generally  to  sight,  as  it  will  stop  at  a  piece  of  red  cloth 
in  mistake  for  flesh  ;  thus  proving  that  it  depends  more 
upon  vision  than  smell. 

"  No.  3  is  the  red-faced  small  vulture. 
"No.  4  the  large  bare-throated  vulture. 
"  No.  5  the  Marabou  stork,  sometimes  accompanied 
by  the  adjutant. 

"  When  employed  in  watching  the  habits  of  these 
birds,  it  is  interesting  to  make  the  experiment  of  con 
cealing  a  dead  animal  beneath  a  dense  bush.  This  I 
have  frequently  done,  in  which  case  the  vultures  never 
find  it  unless  they  have  witnessed  its  death  ;  if  so,  they 
will  already  have  pounced  in  their  descent  while  you 
have  been  engaged  in  concealing  the  body;  they  will 
then,  upon  near  approach,  discover  it  by  the  smell. 
But  if  an  animal  is  killed  in  thick  grass  eight  or  ten  feet 
high,  the  vultures  will  seldom  discover  it.  I  have  fre 
quently  known  the  bodies  of  large  animals,  such  as 
elephants  and  buffaloes,  to  lie  for  days  together  beneath 
the  shade  of  the  dense  nabbuk  bushes,  unattended  by 
3 


50  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

a   single  vulture;  whereas,  if  visible,  they  would   have 
been  visited  by  these  birds  in  thousands. 

"Vultures  and  the  Marabou  stork  fly  at  enormous 
altitudes.  I  believe  that  every  species  keeps  to  its  own 
particular  elevation,  and  that  the  atmosphere  contains 
regular  strata  of  birds  of  prey,  who,  invisible  to  the 
human  eye  at  their  enormous  height,  are  constantly 
resting  upon  their  wide-spread  wings,  and  soaring  in 
circles,  watching  with  telescopic  sight  the  world  beneath. 
At  that  great  elevation  they  are  in  an  exceedingly  cool 
temperature,  and  therefore  require  no  water  ;  but  some 
birds  that  make  long  flights  over  arid  deserts,  such  as 
the  Marabou  stork  and  the  buzzard,  are  provided  with 
water-sacks ;  the  former  in  an  external  bag  a  little 
below  the  throat,  the  latter  in  an  internal  sack,  both 
of  which  carry  a  large  supply.  As  the  birds  of  prey 
that  I  have  enumerated  invariably  appear  at  a  carcass 
in  their  regular  succession,  I  can  only  suggest  that  they 
travel  from  different  distances  or  altitudes.  Thus  the 
Marabou  stork  would  be  the  farthest  from  the  earth, 
the  large  bare-necked  vulture  would  be  the  next  below 
him,  followed  by  the  red-faced  vulture,  the  buzzard, 
and  the  crow  that  is  generally  about  the  surface. 
From  their  immense  elevation,  the  birds  of  prey  possess 
an  extraordinary  field  of  vision,  and  although  they  are 
invisible  from  the  earth,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  they 
are  perpetually  hunting  in  circles  within  sight  of  each 
other.  Thus,  should  one  vulture  discover  some  object 
upon  the  surface  of  the  earth  below,  his  sudden  pounce 
would  be  at  once  observed  and  imitated  by  every  other 
in  succession.  Should  the  one  vulture  nearest  the 
earth  perceive  a  body,  or  even  should  he  notice  the 


THE   MARABOU    STORK.  51 

buzzards  collecting  at  a  given  point,  he  would  forthwith 
become  aware  of  a  prey,  and  his  rush  toward  the  spot 
would  act  like  a  telegraphic  signal  to  others  that  would 
be  rapidly  communicated  to  every  vulture  at  successive 
airy  stations. 

"  If  an  animal  be  skinned,  the  red  surface  will 
attract  the  vultures  in  an  instant.  This  proves  that 
their  sight,  and  not  their  scent,  has  been  attracted  by 
an  object  that  suggests  blood.  I  have  frequently 
watched  them  when  I  have  shot  an  animal,  and  my 
people  have  commenced  the  process  of  skinning.  At 
first,  not  a  bird  has  been  in  sight,  as  I  have  lain  on  my 
back  and  gazed  into  the  spotless  blue  sky,  but  hardly 
has  the  skin  been  half-withdrawn  when  specks  rapidly 
moving  have  appeared  in  the  heavens,  *  caw  !  caw  ! '  has 
been  heard  several  times  from  the  neighboring  bushes, 
the  buzzards  have  swept  down  close  to  my  people,  and 
have  snatched  a  morsel  of  clotted  blood  from  the 
ground.  The  specks  have  increased  to  winged  creatures. 
at  the  great  height  resembling  flies,  when  presently  a 
rushing  sound  behind  me,  like  a  whirlwind,  has  been 
followed  by  the  pounce  of  a  red- faced  vulture  that  has 
fallen  from  the  heavens  in  haste,  with  closed  wings,  to 
the  bloody  feast,  followed  quickly  by  many  of  his 
brethren.  The  sky  has  become  alive  with  black  specks 
in  the  far-distant  blue,  and  with  wings  hurrying  from 
all  quarters.  At  length  a  coronet  of  steady,  soaring 
vultures  forms  avwide  circle  far  above,  as  they  hesitate 
to  descend,  but  continue  to  revolve  around  the  object 
of  attraction.  The  great  bare-necked  vulture  suddenly 
appears.  The  animal  shot  has  been  skinned,  and  the 
required  flesh  secured  by  the  men.  We  withdraw  a 


52  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

hundred  paces  from  the  scene.  A  general  rush  and 
descent  takes  place ;  hundreds  of  hungry  beaks  are 
tearing  at  the  offal.  The  great  bare-necked  vulture 
claims  respect  among  the  crowd.  But  another  form 
has  appeared  in  the  blue  sky,  and  rapidly  descends;  a 
pair  of  long,  ungainly  legs  hanging  down  beneath  the 
enormous  wings,  now  touch  the  ground,  and  Abou  Seen 
(the  father  of  the  teeth  and  beak,  the  Arab  name  for 
the  Marabou)  has  arrived  from  the  higher  regions,  and 
stalks  proudly  toward  the  crowd,  pecking  his  way  with 
his  long  beak  through  the  struggling  vultures  that  had 
preceded  him,  and  swallowing  the  lion's  share  of  the 
repast.  This  bird  is  very  numerous  throughout  the 
Nile  tributaries  of  Abyssinia,  and  may  generally  be 
seen  perched  upon  the  rocks  on  the  water  side,  watch 
ing  for  small  fish  and  reptiles  that  may  chance  to  come 
within  his  reach." 

Waterton  would  seem  to  take  a  different  view  of 
the  subject  in  question,  from  Sir  Samuel  Baker ;  he 
says  : 

"  Vultures,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  observe,  do 
not  keep  together  in  a  large  flock  when  they  are  soar 
ing  up  and  down,  apparently  in  quest  of  a  tainted  cur 
rent.  Now  suppose  a  mule  has  just  expired  behind  a 
high  wall  under  the  denser  foliage  of  evergreen  tropical 
trees  ;  fifty  vultures,  we  will  say,  roost  on  a  tree  a  mile 
from  the  dead  mule.  When  morning  comes,  off  they 
go  in  quest  of  food.  Ten  fly  by  mere  chance  to  the 
wood  where  the  mule  lies,  and  manage  to  spy  it  out 
through  the  trees  ;  the  rest  go  in  quite  a  different  di 
rection.  How  are  the*last  mentioned  birds  to  find  the 
mule  ?  Every  minutes  carries  them  farther  from  it. 


GREAT  BARE-NECKED   VULTURE.  53 

Now  reverse  the  statement,  and  instead  of  a  mule 
newly  dead,  let  us  suppose  a  mule  in  an  offensive  state 
of  decomposition.  I  would  stake  my  life  upon  it  that, 
not  only  the  fifty  vultures  would  be  at  the  carcass  next 
morning,  but  also  that  every  other  vulture  in  the  adja 
cent  forest  would  manage  to  get  there  in  time  to  partake 
of  the  repast." 

The  much  mooted  question  as  to  whether  the  vul 
ture  hunts  by  sight  or  scent,  has  also  occupied  much 
of  my  attention,  and  what  came  under  my  observation 
on  a  certain  occasion  goes  far  to  convince  me  the  bird 
employs  both  the  one  and  the  other  of  these  senses  in 
finding  its  prey. 

Early  one  morning  I  was  toiling  up  the  ascent  of  a 
somewhat  elevated  range  of  hills,  with  the  view  of  ob 
taining  bearings  for  my  travelling  map.  Before  arriving 
at  the  summit,  however,  I  observed  several  vultures 
descending  the  declivity  ;  but  thinking  I  had  merely 
disturbed  them  from  the  lofty  perch  where  they 
passed  the  night,  I  did  not  at  first  take  particular  notice 
of  them.  On  gaining  the  summit  of  the  hill,  neverthe 
less,  I  found  that  the  birds  in  question  had  not  come 
from  the  high  ground,  but  from  an  independent  distance 
on  the  other  side  of  the  hill.  This  circumstance,  coup 
led  with  the  recollection  that  I  had  wounded  a  zebra 
on  the  preceding  day  in  the  same  direction  as  the  vul 
tures  were  proceeding,  and  fancying  that  this  animal 
might  be  their  object,  I  paid  more  attention  to  their 
movements.  Beyond  the  hill  in  question,  the  flight  of 
the  birds  was  at  least  five  hundred  or  a  thousand  feet 
beneath  me,  but  when  they  approached  the  base  of  the 
hill,  and,  at  times  so  far  apart  that  the  next  comer  was 


54  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

not  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  they  abruptly  rose,  and 
without  deviating  from  it  in  the  slightest  degree,  fol 
lowed  the  course  pursued  by  their  companions.  They 
were  a  very-numerous  company. 

Having  completed  my  observations,  I  descended 
the  hill,  and  proceeded  in  the  direct-ion  taken  by  the 
vultures  ;  and  after  about  an  hour's  rapid  walking  I 
found,  as  I  had  anticipated,  the  carcass  of  the  zebra 
mentioned,  with  a  numerous  company  busily  employed 
in  discussing  it. 

The  other  vultures  discovered  the  zebra  in  the  first 
instance,  though  whether  by  sight  or  scent  I  know  not, 
is  certain ;  but  that  those  met  with  by  me  on  the  hill, 
so  far  from  having  been  directed  to  the  carcass  by 
scent,  were  merely  following  by  sight  those  who  pre 
ceded  them,  I  fell  satisfied. 

Both  in  my  own  works  and  in  those  of  other  sports 
men  and  travellers,  I  would  observe,  mention  is  fre 
quently  made  of  the  swarms  of  vultures  that  usually 
congregate  about  the  carcass  of  a  dead  animal  ;  never 
theless,  but  few  probably  form  to  themselves  an  idea 
of  the  number  as  estimated  by  Delegorgue,  who,  aftej 
telling  us  that  "  on  his  return  to  a  buffalo  shot  by  him 
some  little  time  previously,"  says  : 

"  Notwithstanding  our  near  proximity  to  the  spot, 
the  vultures  came  from  all  quarters,  and  disputed 
uriously  with  each  other  for  the  best  places  ;  the  Last 
comers  descending  from  the  air,  resting  their  feet  on 
the  bodies  of  the  first,  whom  they  constrained  by  their 
weight  to  give  place  to  them.  Many  sharp  blows  with 
their  beak  were  exchanged,  of  which,  however,  such 
was  their  ardor,  even  the  wounded  seemed  to  take  no 


VULTURE   HUNTS.  55  . 

notice.  Their  number  probably  exceeded  five  hundred. 
The  carcass  of  the  buffalo  was  completely  hidden  from 
sight  by  them,  and  on  all  sides  round  about  were  many 
others  attempting  to  drive  away  those  who  were  already 
gorging  themselves. 

"  Though  all  were  equally  greedy,  yet  doubtless 
there  was  among  this  great  mass  of  sharp  beaks  and 
upraised  tails  more  than  one  unjust  oppressor.  Observ 
ing  this,  the  idea  came  into  my  head  to  keep  some  kind 
of  order  among  them.  My  gun  was  pointed  into  the 
midst  of  this  mountain  of  vultures,  distant  one  hundred 
and  ten  paces.  The  explosion  ensued,  and  seven  of  the 
number  remained  on  the  spot,  either  killed  or  helplessly 
wounded  by  a  single  ball !  Certainly  a  justifiable  motive 
was  wanting  to  induce  me  so  to  act,  because  the  inno 
cent  as  well  as  the  guilty  equally  suffered  ;  but  to  speak 
the  truth,  my  real  object  was  to  ascertain  the  effect  my 
bullet  would  have  on  a  great  gathering  of  individuals 
of  this  species.  It  was,  however,  a  destruction  not  only 
useless,  but  blamable,  because  the  vultures  render 
these  countries  a  signal  service  in  rapidly  absorbing 
quantities  of  offal  that  would  otherwise  contaminate  the 
air  with  deleterious  miasma." 

Of  the  ostrich  I  have  also  a  word  to  say,  not,  how 
ever,  as  regards  its  natural  history,  etc.,  of  which,  in 
my  former  works  I  entered  into  rather  full  particulars, 
both  in  consequence  of  having  recently  discovered 
what,  from  an  early  period  of  my  wanderings,  I  had 
suspected,  viz.,  that  another  species  of  that  bird,  one 
quite  new  to  science,  exists  in  Southern  Africa,  a  fact 
that  may  interest  many. 

In  the  common  species  the  male  is  black,  with  white 


£6  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

tail  and  wings,  while  the  female  is  of  a  grayish  color.  Of 
the  new  species  I  have  not  an  entire  specimen  so  as  to  be 
enabled  to  give  an  accurate  description  of  the  entire 
bird ;  still  I  possess  sufficient  data  to  enable  me  to 
vouch  for  the  correctness  of  my  statement,  having 
three  pieces  or  portions  of  skin  of  two  males,  one 
female,  and  a  young  one,  apparently  about  half  grown. 

The  male  bird  would  seem  to  differ  but  little  from 
the  well-known  African  species,  except  in  size,  it  being 
somewhat  larger  ;  the  great  and  specific  difference  lies 
with  the  female  and  the  young.  The  former  is  jet 
black  in  the  body,  like  the  male.  The  young  is  of  a 
sooty-brown,  and  the  feathers,  which  are  narrow,  and 
come  to  an  acute  point,  are  tipped  with  light  brown  ; 
the  tail  similar,  but  interspersed  with  a  few  gray  or 
grayish-white  feathers  ;  the  wings  similar  to  the  tail, 
but  of  a  softer  texture;  the  thighs  and  neck  white. 
The  egg  of  this  species  is  said  to  be  larger  than  that  of 
the  common  ostrich.  The  bird  in  question  seems  to  be 
pretty  commonly  distributed  over  the  boundless  wastes 
and  plains  of  both  Great  Namaqua  and  Damaraland, 
and  herds  with  the  ordinary  species. 

Many  of  the  natives,  hunters  also,  speak  of  a  third 
specves  of  ostrich,  which  they  characterize  by  some  very 
marked  distinctions;  thus,  for  instance,  I  am  assured 
that  it  has  a  narrow  but  conspicuous  bar  across  the 
back  or  rump,  and  a  double  row  of  quills  on  each  wing  ; 
also,  that  the  color  is  brownish  gray  in  both  sexes  ; 
nevertheless,  I  mention  it  here  more  for  the  purpose  of 
drawing  the  attention  of  naturalists  to  the  subject,  than 
from  any  personal  belief  in  its  existence  as  a  third  dis 
tinct  South  African  species. 


THE   OSTRICH.  57 

Though,  as  recently  observed,  I  have  in  my  former 
works  gone  much  into  detail  in  regard  to  the  ostrich, 
the  following  means  of  effecting  its  capture,  as  pursued 
by  the  Namaquas  with  considerable  success,  were  not 
then  described. 

A  troop  of  ostriches  having  been  espied,  a  number 
of  men  set  about  surrounding  them,  but  at  a  great  dis 
tance  ;  and  in  the  first  instance,  therefore,  the  hunters 
stand  far  apart  from  each  other.  When  a  sufficient 
time  has  elapsed  for  the  completion  of  the  circle,  they 
all  move  forward  simultaneously,  keeping  the  while  as 
much  out  of  sight  of  the  birds  as  possible,  and  taking 
care  at  the  same  time  not  to  appear  to  direct  their  at 
tention  to  the  quarry,  but  merely  to  show  themselves 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  cause  the  birds  to  "  give  way," 
or  move  off  in  a  different  direction,  where  they  are 
pretty  certain  to  meet  an  enemy  and  to  be  turned  back 
again.  For  a  time  the  ostriches  are  thus  kept  quietly 
moving  within  the  circle,-  but  when  at  length  this 
becomes  compressed,  and  the  hunters  see  that  the 
chances  of  the  birds  escaping  are  but  small,  they  keep 
them  moving  at  a  rapid  pace,  shouting,  yelling,  and 
gesticulating  violently  at  the  same  time  ;  so  that  the 
poor  creatures  soon  become  utterly  exhausted,  and  an 
end  is  presently  put  to  the  exciting  scene  by  the  slaugh 
ter  of  the  whole  or  greater  part  of  them.  With  expe 
rienced  hunters,  this  plan  of  capture  seldom  tails  of  in 
suring  success. 

The  same  people  resort  to  another,  and  even  more 

destructive  way,  of  capturing  the  ostrich  than  that  just 

described.     At   times   indeed,  a  whole  tribe,  many  of 

the  men  being  mounted,  take  part  -in  it.     The  locality 

3* 


58  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

for  the  hunt  having  been  determined  on,  a  body  of 
horsemen  station  themselves  at  intervals  across  a  defile, 
on  the  narrow  .portion  of  a  plain  where  the  quarry  is 
likely  to  pass,  while  others,  also  mounted,  are  despatched 
in  search  of  the  birds.  These,  when  on  the  way,  leave 
at  convenient  distances  one  or  other  of  their  number  to 
act,  not  only  as  sentinels,  but  for  a  purpose  that  will 
presently  be  shown.  Having  found  the  destined  vic 
tims,  with  whose  favorite  haunts  they  are  pretty  well 
acquainted,  the  remainder  of  the  party  begin  gradually 
and  cautiously  to  drive  the  unsuspecting  birds  before 
them,  and  in  the  direction  of  their  comrades,  who  are 
lying  in  wait. 

This  purpose  effected,  they  urge  the  poor  creatures 
forward  at  a  telling  pace,  and  on  coming  to  the  men, 
stationed  as  sentinels,  they  themselves  drop  behind, 
leaving  the  latter  to  continue  the  pursuit  in  their  stead. 
After  breathing  their  horses  they  draw  up  in  line, 
thereby  forming  a  barrier,  so  to  say,  should  the  quarry 
head  back  or  attempt  to  escape  in  that  direction. 
Thus  the  ostriches  have  not  a  moment's  respite  given 
them  in  their  headlong  flight,  and  it  consequently  not 
unfrequently  happens  that  by  the  time  they  reach 
the  horseman  waiting  for  them,  they  are  so  exhausted 
as  to  come  to  a  dead  stand-still — or  even  to  fall  help 
lessly  to  the  ground.  The  captures  on  these  occa 
sions  are  often  very  considerable.  At  times,  indeed, 
greater  than  the  hunters  require  for  food,  and  in  which 
case  they  will  allow  such  of  the  birds  as  they  stand  not 
in  need  of,  after  first  despoiling  them  of  their  valuable 
wing  and  tail  feathers,  to  depart  without  further 
injury. 


ROBBING   OSTRICH   EGGS.  .    59 

In  concluding  these  few  observations  on  the  chase 
of  the  ostrich,  I  would  here  add  the  result  of  not  only 
my  own  trifling  experience,  but  that  of  others,  of  late 
years  ;  viz.,  that  these  birds  are  easier  of  approach  when 
congregated  in  numbers,*  than  when  there  are  only  two 
or  three  together;  and  that  in  pursuing  them  on  horse 
back  considerable  experience  is  requisite  to  insure  suc 
cess.  Thus,  to  ride  steadily  after  them  without  distress 
ing  your  steed  ;  but  so  soon  as  they  evince  signs  of 
being  desirous  of  halting,  give  them  another  start  by 
pushing  your  horse  suddenly  forward,  and  thus  continue 
until  such  time  as  they  begin  to  wave  their  wings  heav 
ily,  a  sure  sign  of  partial  exhaustion.  This  is  the  mo 
ment  to  urge  your  steed  to  the  utmost;  but  never 
attempt  to  ride  down  the  ostrich  unless  the  sun  be 
scorching  hot. 

Speaking  of  this  bird  reminds  me  of  a  somewhat 
singular  expedient  the  Hottentots  are  accustomed  to 
resort  to  when  chance  leads  them  to  its  nest.  After 
divesting  themselves  of  their  trousers,  and  tying  up  the 
lower  ends  thereof,  they  securely  pack  the  eggs  within 
them,  and  when  thus  converted  into  a  kind  of  saddle 
bags,  they  either  throw  them  over  their  shoulders,  or, 
if  mounted,  across  the  backs  of  their  steeds,  and  thus 
convey  the  prizes  to  their  homes. 

*  Though  I  myself  have  never  seen  any  very  great  number  of  ostriches 
together,  yet  other  travellers  have  been  more  fortunate,  Lechtensten,  for 
instance,  after  describing  a  spirited  chase  after  these  birds,  goes  no  to  say, 
"  The  number  we  saw  could  scarcely  have  been  less  than  three  hundred." 


CHAPTER  V. 


Harassing  period  of  my  life — Kamaherero  and  his  tribe — Power  of  the 
Namaquas — Wretched  condition  of  the  enslaved  tribe — Rising^of 
the  Damaras — Visit  of  Philippus,  son. of  a  Damara  chief — Upright 
conduct  of  the  Damaras — Rumors — Treachery  of  the  Namaquas — 
Alarm  at  Otjimbingue — Battle  and  victory  of  the  Damaras — Death 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Kleinschmidt. 


I  NOW  approach  a  period  of  my  life  at  once  the 
most  painful,  the  most  harassing,  and  the  most  fatal 
—fatal  to  my  worldly  and  hard-earned  possessions  in 
the  most  complete  sense,  and  all  but  fatal  to  my  life. 
As  it  was,  it  left  me  a  poor  useless  cripple  for  the 
remainder  of  my  existence.  But  it  is  a  long  story  and 
one  difficult  to  tell. 

Those  who  have  perused  the  pages  of  "  Lake 
Ngami  "  may  remember  the  name  of  Katchamaha, 
as  one  of  the  four  great  chiefs  whom  Mr.  Galton  and 
myself  found  on  our  arrival  in  Damaraland  The  old 
man  was  dead,  but  Kamaherero,  the  eldest  surviving 
son — for  several  had  been  killed  in  the  civil  wars  of  the 
country  and  by  the  Namaquas — finding  his  people 
diminishing  fast,  and  dreading,  I  presume,  the  ultimate 
destruction  of  himself  and  the  tribe — he,  together  with 
the  latter,  suddenly  threw  himself  on  Jonker's  mercy 
and  protection.  The  refugees  were  well  received  by 
the  politic  chief,  and  located,  as  it  would  seem,  at  no 
great  distance  from  his  own  worft,  where  for  a  time 


LOT   OF   THE  DAMARAS.  6 1 

they  were  treated  with  consideration,  in  fact,  the 
Damara  chieftain's  power,  though  broken,  was  still  so 
formidable  that  Jonker  somewhat  dreaded  him.  More 
over,  such  an  ally  woulci  prove  of  inestimable  service 
to  him  in  his  numerous  predatory  excursions  against 
such  of  the  Damaras  as  still  retained  their  independence, 
and  a  bulwark  against  enemies  in  general.'  For  some 
time,  therefore,  Kamaherero  was  left  unmolested,  with 
the  exception  of  occasional  demands  upon  his  purse 
2.  c.  his  cattle.  But  the  Namaquas,  long  accustomed  to 
power,  and  to  have  their  slightest  whim  obeyed  by  a 
people  who  seem  naturally  to  have  fallen  into  serfdom, 
soon  acquired  unlimited  sway  over  their  soi-disant 
friends  and  allies,  who  at  length  became  little  bettei 
than  slaves  and  minions  of  their  unscrupulous  pro 
tectors. 

Things  had  for  some  years  thus  gone  on  from  bad 
to  worse  ;  for  not  content  with  keeping  them  in  abject 
submission,  and  plundering  them  of  their  possessions, 
the  Namaquas  proceeded  to  personal  violence,  the  Da 
mara  chief  himself  not  being  exempt  from  insult  and 
degradation.  The  natural  weakness  and  apathy  of  the 
Damara  character  made  them  bear  their  lot  patiently, 
though  not  contentedly  ;  in  fact  the  tribe  had  gradu 
ally  grown  strong  again,  partly  by  the  infusion  of  the 
remnants  of  other  tribes,  who  like  themselves,  had 
sought  safety  with  their  enemies,  and  partly  by  their 
own  natural  increase.  Moreover,  a  great  portion  had 
become  tolerably  conversant  with  the  sight  and  use  of 
fire-arms,  as  well  as  with  their  once  equally  dreaded 
enemy,  the  horse.  Lastly,  and  not  the  least  important 
circumstance,  they  began  to  feel  their  own  physical 


62  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

superiority.  It  was  impossible  for  them  to  be  blind  to 
the  difference  between  themselves  and  the  Namaquas, 
the  diminutive,  slight,  and  frail  figure  of  the  latter, 
when  compared  with  their  own  tall  and,  well-made 
frames.  Even  Jonker  himself  was  not  slow  to  perceive 
this  defect  in  his  people  ;  but  as  a  set-off,  the  Damaras 
were  studiously  prevented  from  acquiring  any  quantity 
of  guns  or  ammunition.  About  this  time,  too,  I  believe, 
the  Damaras  had  been  secretly  invited  by  another  tribe 
of  Namaquas — the  sworn  enemies  of  Jonker  and  his 
people — to  join  them  openly  against  their  oppressors  or, 
at  all  events,  hints  had  been  broadly  given  that  certain 
advantages  would  be  insured  to  them  if  they  only 
would  hold  themselves  neutral  should  a  rupture  take 
place.  Jonker  was  hated  by  most  of  the  Namaquas, 
with  whom  he  had  either  fought  and  plundered  in 
former  years,  or  who  were  jealous  of  his  ever-increasing 
power  and  wealth.  But  so  long  as  he  had  the  main 
body  of  the  Damaras  on  his  side  they  hesitated  to  show 
their  enmity  very  openly. 

Thus  fear  and  suspicions  against  their  friends,  which 
had  probably  never  been  altogether  absent  from  minds 
so  debased  and  naturally  prone  to  distrust  as  those  of 
the  Namaquas,  who,  moreover,  could  not  altogether  shut 
their  eyes  to  the  deadly  injuries  they  themselves  in 
flicted  on  their  allies,  began  both  directly  and  indirectly 
to  appear  in  their  conduct.  Indeed,  when  "deep  in  their 
cups,"  that  is  when  wildly  intoxicated  by  the  brandy 
of  the  country,  the  Namaquas  but  too  frequently  gave 
the  Damaras  cause  for  the  worst  fears,  their  language 
then  breathing  nothing  but  death  and  destruction. 
Kamaherero,  therefore,  with  all  his  natural  weakness 


VISIT   OF   KAMAHERERO.  63 

and  apathy,  could  not  altogether  remain  indifferent  to 
his  precarious  position,  and  he  must  have  felt  that  he 
was  daily,  nay  hourly,  treading  on  a  slumbering  vol 
cano,  which  a  spark  would  be  sufficient  to  ignite  and 
overwhelm  him  with  ruin.  Indeed  many  of  his  friends 
and  acquaintances  had  already  been  murdered  either 
openly  or  in  secret. 

But  this  state  of  things  could  not  last  forever,  and 
the  storm  which  had  been  brewing,  shortly  afterward 
burst  forth  in  all  its  fury,  confounding  in  its  violence 
alike  the  guilty  and  the  innocent,  and  carrying  desola 
tion  to  many  a  peaceful  home,  and  ruin  to  hundreds. 
At  the  same  time  it  was  fortunately  not  without  its 
beneficial  consequences,  humbling  and  impoverishing, 
as  it  ultimately  did,  the  tyrants  who  had  become 
wealthy  through  their  iniquity,  and  bringing  liberty 
and  competence  to  many  of  the  oppressed  and  the 
poor. 

A  short  time  before  this  general  outbreak  occurred, 
and  not  very  long  after  the  tragical  incident  related  in 
the  foregoing  pages,  Kamaherero  came  to  pay  me  a  visit 
at  Otjimbingue.  I  entertained  him  hospitably  fora  few 
days,  bestowing  on  him  a  few  trifling  presents,  and  when 
he  was  ready  to  depart,  I  casually  alluded  to  his  posi 
tion,  inquiring  whether  there  was  any  prospect  of  im 
provement. 

"  None,"  he  dejectedly  replied,  "  I  am,  as  you  well 
know,  treated  like  a  dog,  and  tremble  constantly  for  my 
life  ;  for  if  not  openly  taken  away  I  am  sure  to  lose  it 
on  some  dark  night.  I  asked  Jonker,  and  since  his 
death,  his  sons  and  others,  for  a  place  for  my  people 
where  we  could  live  by  ourselves,  and  do  a  little  garden- 


64  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

ing,  etc.  But  I  never  can  get  an  answer,  and  it  is  clear 
they  do  not  mean  to  grant  my  poor  request  ;  on  the 
contrary  they  seem  half  afraid  of  us,  and  would  fain 
take  away  all  our  lives." 

"  Awd  knowing  all  this,"  I  rejoined,  "  is  it  still  your 
resolve  to  do  nothing  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  would  like  to  get  away,  it  is  true,  but  how 
can  I  ?  We  are  watched  night  and  day,"  adding,  how 
ever,  abruptly,  "  Woulfl  you  let  me  live  at  Otjimbingue 
if  I  came  there  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  I  answered,  "  and  simply  because  I 
cannot  prevent  you  if  I  would,  for  I  count  only  the 
buildings  on  the  place  my  own,  with  sufficient  ground 
for  garden  purposes,  and  right  to  the  necessary  grazing 
for  my  cattle,  etc.  Whoever  remains  master  of  the 
country  at  large,  remains  also  master  of  the  land  here 
about." 

This  was  all  that  ever  passed  between  us  on  this  or 
any  other  occasion  when  we  met,  at  least  as  regards 
any  allusion  to  the  Damaras  trying  to  obtain  their  lib 
erty.  I  am  so  particular  in  stating  this  much,  because 
it  has  been  imputed  to  me  that  I  had  urged  the  Da 
maras  to  free  themselves.  I  shall  readily  be  believed, 
however,  when  I  state  that  beyond  a  desire  to  see  the 
oppressed  righted,  I  had  no  earthly  interest  in  the  Da 
maras  obtaining  their  liberty,  or  rather  my  interest,  in 
a  commercial  point  of  view,  lay  all  the  other  way,  since 
the  Damaras  were  very  poor,  and  the  little  they  did 
possess  they  parted  with  most  unwillingly.  In  fact, 
being  less  civilized  than  the  Namaquas,  they  had  nat 
urally  fewer  wants,  and  consequently  fewer  motives  to 
seek  the  trader. 


RUMORED   RISING   OF   THE   DAMARAS.  65 

Not  long  after  Kamaherero's  return  to  his  people, 
then  living  on  intimate  terms  with  their  Hottentot 
protectors,  there  were  rumors  of  a  rising  among  the 
Damaras,  who  it  was  said  had  suddenly  made  their 
escape  to  some  neighboring  rocks  where  they  received 
daily  additions  to  their  numbers,  and  were  now  trying 
to  obtain  permission  to  live  in  friendship  with  their 
hard  and  cruel  masters  on  terms  more  favorable  than 
had  hitherto  been  granted  to  them.  They  offered  to 
give  up  all  the  cattle  they  had  charge  of,  provided  they 
were  allowed  to  depart  peaceably.  But  though  the 
Afrikaners  were  quite  unprepared  for  the  emergency, 
they  had  been  so  accustomed  to  look  upon  the  Da 
maras  as  little  better  than  dogs,  that  they  were  unwil 
ling  to  believe  that  their  late  slaves  had  been  guilty  of 
the  presumption  of  rising  against  them,  and  therefore 
refused  to  listen  to  any  proposals  whatever.-  When  this 
news  reached  us  we  were  equally  incredulous  ;  but  a 
friendly  Griqua,  coming  from  the  scene  of  disturbance, 
fully  corroborated  the  common  report. 

At  this  period  there  was  living  at  Otjimbingue,  at 
least  that  part  of  it  belonging  to  the  Rhenish  Mission 
ary  Society,  a  Christian  Damara  of  the  name  of  Philip- 
pus.  He  had  been  brought  up  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hahn, 
and  in  addition  to  the  polish  thus  obtained,  possessed 
shrewdness,  intelligence,  and  much  good  sense.  Philip- 
pus  was  the  son  of  a  deceased  chief  of  some  impor 
tance,  and  related  to  Kamaherero  somewhat  closely. 
Very  shortly  after  the  news  of  the  Damara  rising  had 
been  confirmed,  he  came  to  inform  me  that  he  was 
about  to  join  his  kinsman,  and  inquired  whether  I  would 
in  any  way  assist  him  or  Kamaherero  ? 


66  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

"  Certainly  not,"  I  replied,  u  I  have  no  wish  to  get 
involved  in  an  affair  that  I  but  too  clearly  foresee  must 
ultimately  ruin  my  business,  if  not  bring  about  worse 
consequences.  But  I  will  allow  the  Damaras  to  supply 
their  wants  at  my  store,  provided  they  honestly  pay  for 
what  they  obtain." 

With  this  understanding  we  parted,  and  from  that 
day  small  parties  of  Damaras  were  frequently  passing  my 
place,  all  wearing  on  their  countenances  a  determined 
air  as  if  bent  on  accomplishing  some  fixed  purpose, 
On  inquiring  their  destination,  they  replied  they  were 
on  their  way  to  join  their  countrymen,  who,  they  were 
told,  had  risen  against  their  oppressors,  and.  had  asked 
their  help.  I  never  encouraged  them  byword  or  deed, 
though  I  considered  their  conduct  very  natural.  I  did 
not  even  wish  them  God  speed,  and  yet  I  have  been 
blamed  for  backing  them  in  their  rebellion. 

A  week  had  now  elapsed,  during  which  time  the 
most  contradictory  reports  had  reached  us,  and  we 
were  thus  kept  in  considerable  suspense  as  to  the  issue 
of  this  sudden  rupture.  At  one  time  we  heard  that  a 
battle  had  been  fought  in  which  the  Damaras  had  come 
off  victorious,  then  the  report  was  the  reverse.  The 
first  reliable  news  we  had  was  from  Kamaherero  him 
self,  who  one  day  suddenly  presented  himself  .before 
me,  informing  me  that  he  and  his  people  had  made 
their  escape  in  safety,  and  wished  to  settle  down  at 
Otjimbingue.  They  had  likewise  brought  with  them 
large  numbers  of  cattle,  and  though  most  of  these  had 
been  purloined  from  the  Damaras  at  various  times, 
they  offered  them  to  me  with  a  request  that  I  would 
return  them  forthwith  to  the  Namaqijas.  This,  under 


ESCAPE   OF   THE   DAMARAS.  6/ 

the  circumstances,  was  utterly  impossible,  but  I  told 
my  new  acquaintances  that  I  would  write  and  tell 
Christian  Afrikaner  of  their  wishes  and  intentions,  beg 
ging  him  to  send  a  few  trustworthy  men  to  receive  the 
cattle,  and  guaranteeing  the  safety  of  his  men  with  my 
own  life.  I  had  myself  already  received  a  letter  from 
this  chief,  informing  me  of  the  tmeute  of  the  Damaras, 
and  insolently  forbidding  me  to  give  them  protection, 
or  to  sell  them  necessaries.  I  took  this  opportunity  to 
tell  him  respectfully,  but  firmly,  that  I  acknowledged 
no  chief  in  my  private  transactions  ;  that  I  was  a  neutral 
party,  wishing  to  earn  my  bread  without  fear  or  favor, 
and  that  I  would  most  assuredly  sell  the  Damaras 
whatever  I  chose,  provided  they  were  able  honestly  to 
pay  for  what  they  required.  I  further  earnestly  en 
treated  the  chief  to  grant  the  Damaras  their  liberty, 
and  to  come  himself,  or  to  send  some  men  of  consider 
ation,  to  talk  matters  over  quietly.  "  Attempt  nothing 
by  force,"  I  concluded,  "  for  I  cannot  then  answer  for 
the  result." 

After  some  delay  an  answer  arrived,  but  couched  in 
most  equivocal  terms.  The  letter  reached  us  on  a  Sun 
day,  just  as  we  were  coming  out  of  the  Missionary 
church,  and  was  dated  two  long  days'  journey  off,  in 
forming  us  that  the  Namaquas  would  be  at  Otjimbingue 
in  two  or  three  days'  time,  and  that  their  intentions 
were  peaceable.  We  knew  enough  of  the  Namaquas' 
character  not  to  put  too  implicit  faith  in  their  prom 
ises  ;  and  we  were  strengthened  in  our  suspicions  by 
the  messengers,  who  declared  that,  so  far  from  their 
intentions  being  friendly,  they  had  uttered  the  most 
deadly  threats,  and  would  only  be  satisfied  when  they 


68  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

had  slain  every  man  of  the  Damaras,  and  razed  Otjim- 
bingue  to  the  ground  !  If  this  was  really  true,  it  involved 
myself  and  my  property  in  the  general  ruin  contem 
plated.  Still  I  would  do  nothing  to  compromise  my 
self,  but  wait  for  ocular  demonstrations  of  their  hostility, 
before  I  took  up  arms  in  my  own  defence. 

On  the  Monday  morning  following,  having  risen 
pretty  early,  as  was  my  custom,  I  was  passing  from  my 
house  to  the  store,  when,  happening  to  cast  my  eyes  in 
the  direction  in  which  we  might  expect  to  see  the 
enemy  in  the  course  of  another  day  or  so,  I  was  startled 
by  observing  an  immense  cloud  of  dust  extending  over 
several  miles  of  road,  and  almost  simultaneously  I  was 
surprised  by  the  wild  and  fearful  cry,  "  The  Hottentots, 
the  Hottentots  are  coming  !  to  arms,  to  arms  !  "  The 
scene  that  followed  baffles  all  attempts  at  description. 
Notwithstanding  the  warning  that  had  been  received, 
it  was  apparent  that  nothing  was  ready;  and  we  had 
clearly  been  surprised.  In  five  minutes  every  nook 
and  corner  of  the  accessible  parts  of  my  house  was 
crowded  by  terror-stricken  women  and  screaming  chil 
dren.  Truly  it  was  a  pitiful  sight !  Nevertheless,  I 
drove  them  pell-mell  into  the  yard,  which  afforded  them 
ample  protection,  being  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  thick 
walls.  The  concealment,  however,  was  premature  ;  but, 
in  any  case,  to  have  allowed  them  to  keep  possession 
of  the  house  would  have  been  unwise,  as  their  presence 
would  have  hampered  our  movements,  had  it  been 
found  necessary  to  convert  it  into  a  temporary  "  for 
tress."  The  whole  establishment,  however,  was  very 
favorable  for  defence,  being  built  in  the  form  of  a  square, 
consisting  in  a  great  measure  of  substantial  ball-proof 


PREMATURE  ALARM.  69 

buildings,  capable  of  sheltering  hundreds,  nay  thousands 
of  human  beings  if  requisite. 

Hastily  preparing  ourselves  for  defence,  should  the 
Hottentots  have  the  temerity  to  attack  the  place  itself, 
we  proceeded  quietly  (my  brave  wife  and  other  women 
belonging  to  the  establishment  accompanying  us)  to 
view  the  battle  which  had  already  begun,  and  of  which 
we  commanded  at  every  point  a  full  view. 

What  with  the  intended  surprise  and  the  cowed 
nature  of  the  Damaras,  the  Hottentots,  it  seems,  had 
confidently  reckoned  on  an  easy  victory.  Accordingly, 
a  strong  party  of  horsemen  made  a  bold  push  for  the 
missionary  station,  which  had  to  be  passed  before  they 
could  reach  my  own  place,  and  for  a  few  minutes  it 
really  appeared  as  if  their  anticipations  were  about  to 
be  realized.  The  firing  was  very  close  and  regular,  and 
for  some  minutes  so  dense  were  the  volumes  of  smoke 
that  the  whole  scene  was  hidden  from  our  view.  When 
at  last  it  began  to  clear  away  a  little,  we  saw,  to  our 
horror,  that  the  Damaras  were  giving  way  on  every 
side,  and  the  battle  seemed  on  the  point  of  being  lost, 
but  somehow  they  rallied,  and  the  contest  became 
more  fierce  and  deadly.  Meanwhile,  the  rest  of  the 
enemy,  several  hundreds  strong,  extended  themselves 
in  a  long  line  to  the  right  and  left,  and  the  left  wing, 
which  had  got  opposite  to  my  premises  was  within  long 
rifle-range.  They  had  advanced  so  far  without  any 
serious  resistance,  and  I  began  to  have  some  doubts  as 
to  the  issue  of  this  day's  doings.  That  portion  of  the 
Damaras  who  could  be  most  depended  on,  lived  at  a 
considerable  distance,  and  had  not  yet  arrived,  and  I 
much  feared  that  all  might  be  lost  ere  they  could  reach 


70  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

the  scene  of  action.  The  appearance  of  the  Hottentots 
had  been  so  sudden,  and  the  fight  had  begun  so  soon 
after,  that  there  had  been  no  time  for  sending  them 
word.  Our  only  hopes  rested  on  the  chance  of  their 
hearing  the  firing,  and  in  this  we  were  not  deceived  ; 
for  just  at  this  critical  moment,  when  the  Namaquas 
were  evidently  carrying  all  before  them,  a  small  but 
gallant  body  of  men  were  seen  emerging  from  the  bush 
on  the  flank  of  the  enemy,  whom  they  charged  at  their 
utmost  speed,  throwing  them  into  considerable  confu 
sion.  The  victorious  band  was  greeted  by  a  yell  of 
triumph,  swelled  by  the  joyful  acclamations  of  the 
women,  who  had  come  forth  in  great  numbers  from 
their  hiding-places  to  view  the  battle  like  ourselves. 

The  Damaras  were  shortly  after  joined  by  a  strong 
detachment,  the  last,  and  the  most  reliable  of  all.  I 
now  began  to  breathe  with  considerably  more  ease,  es 
pecially  as  the  Damaras  held  their  own  for  upward  of 
two  hours,  and  were  slowly  but  steadily  gaining  upon 
their  opponents,  who  were  giving  way  in  more  than  one 
quarter.  The  Damaras  displayed  on  that  day  a  won 
derful  facility  for  insinuating  themselves  into  places  in 
which  I  should  hardly  have  deemed  a  child  could  have 
been  concealed — in  fact,  for  awhile,  we,  the  spectators, 
commanding  as  we  did  a  full  view  of  the  animating 
scene  of  struggle,  had  for  a  time  lost  sight  of  many  of 
the  combatants.  At  last,  however,  was  heard  the  ex 
ultant  cry,  "  They  are  running  !  they  are  running  !  "  and 
at  the  same  instant,  as  if  by  magic,  every  bush,  rock, 
and  hollow  seemed  alive  with  swarthy  human  beings. 
fi.  grand  but  appalling  scene  now  followed.  Fully  fif 
teen  hundred  Damaras  set  off  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  fly- 


DEFEAT   OF  THE   NAMAQUAS.  71 

ing  Namaquas,  who  now  only  thought  how  they  might 
best  use  their  legs  ;  it  was,  however,  short  work,  as  the 
broad  assegai  of  the  Damaras  made  terrible  havoc  in 
the  ranks  of  their  opponents,  ten  or  a  dozen  dead  bodies 
being  frequently  found  heaped  on  one  another  in  one 
spot,  testifying  to  the  dreadful  character  of  the  weapon 
when  used  at:  close  quarters,  and  the  unsparing  hands 
of  those  who  dealt  the  deadly  thrusts.     Quarter   that 
day  was  rarely  asked,  and  certainly  never  given,  if  de 
manded.     The  carnage  was  fearful,  as  I  can  personally 
testify  to,  having  ridden  over  the  battle-field  while  the 
action  was  still  far  from  ended  ;  indeed,  at  one  time,  I 
found  myself  quite  surrounded  by  combatants.     I  had 
followed  out  of  curiosity  ;  arid  though  terribly  exciting, 
I  cannot  say  that  it  was  an  edifying  sight..     It  was  my 
first  battle-field,  but  alas  !  not  the  last  I  had  to  witness. 
Had  every  Damara  present  that  day  done  his  duty, 
not  one  Hottentot  ought    to  have   survived,  as    they 
might   have  been   cut  off.  to  a  man  with  the  greatest 
ease.     But,  until  the  pursuit  began,  there  were  not  cer 
tainly  three  hundred  actually  engaged,  and  instead  of 
pursuing  the   enemy   in    earnest,  most  of  them  fell  to 
plundering  ;  and  hundreds  of  Damaras  might  have  been 
seen  carrying  off  booty,  or  stripping  the  slain.     It  was 
not  unusual  to  see  a  fellow  hastily  covered  with  the  torn 
garments  of   some  slaughtered    foe,   still  reeking  with 
gore.     As  it  was,  the  Damaras  had  gained  a  complete 
victory,  and  they  were  justly  proud  of  the  exploit— the 
more  remarkable  as  it  was  won  under  the  most  unfa 
vorable  circumstances.  Their  spirit  had  been  completely 
broken    by    years  of  slavery;  they  were  indifferently 
supplied  with  fire-arms,  and  many  who  did  possess  guns 


72  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

knew  not  the  proper  use  of  them  ;  ammunition  failed 
to  numbers  almost  at  the  commencement  of  the  action  ; 
they  possessed  no  leader,  no  union  of  purpose ;  and,  as 
we  have  already  seen,  they  had  been  taken  by  surprise. 

I  never  could  correctly  ascertain  the  number  of 
slain  ;  but  upward  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  Hottentots, 
including  the  chief,  Christian  Afrikaner,  were  counted 
by  myself  and  my  people  within  a  few  miles  of  Otjim- 
bingue,  and  the  total  number  must  have  exceeded  two 
hundred,  to  say  nothing  of  those  who  escaped  wounded. 
For  days,  nay,  weeks  after  the  fight,  men  were  picked 
up  dead  and  dying,  having  hidden  themselves  in  cavi 
ties  of  rocks,  or  in  the  dense  bush  which  skirted  the 
river  on  both  sides,  along  which  a  running  fight  had 
been  kept  up  for  some  time  after  the  general  flight  and 
pursuit  had  commenced.  The  losses  of  the  Damaras 
must  also  have  been  considerable  ;  I  ascertained  the 
names  of  fifty  who  it  was  said  had  been  killed,  and 
many  were  wounded  more  or  less  severely.  But  I  mar 
velled  that  the  number  was  not  greater,  considering  the 
deliberate  firing  on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  who  were 
mostly  all  fair  marksmen. 

Several  of  the  Hottentots  died  game,  and  I  could 
mention  some  curious  scenes  which  occurred.  Some 
Damaras  who  were  one  day  out  "  looting,"  seeing  a  gun 
barrel  partially  protruding  from  a  bush,  one  of  the 
party  went  to  draw  it  out,  when  lo  !  it  exploded,  killing 
the  fellow  on  the  spot.  Another  and  another  were 
shot  before  the  men  could  recover  from  their  consterna 
tion  and  storm  the  place.  When  at  last  they  did  so, 
they  found  a  man  with  both  his  legs  shot  off!  The  poor 
fellow,  it  seems,  had  during  the  nights  managed  to  drag 


A  COURAGEOUS  HOTTENTOT.          73 

himself  about  in  search  of  water  and  food.  A  few 
shells  of  snails,  scattered  about  his  place  of  concealment, 
testified  to  the  means  employed  for  eking  out  the  mu 
tilated  wretch's  miserable  existence.  Of  course  the 
Damaras  at  once  put  him  out  of  his  misery. 

The  Hottentots  were  said  to  have  always  professed 
a  certain  respect  for  missionaries  and  their  property, 
but  if  any  such  consideration  really  existed,  it  did  not 
show  itself  during  the  aforesaid  fight,  for  poor  Mr. 
Kleinschmidt's  house  was  made  a  regular  target  of: 
numerous  bullets  were  lodged  in  the  walls,  and  more 
than  one  penetrated  to  the  interior.  Fortunately  the 
family  had  taken  shelter  in  the  back  premises,  where 
they  were  comparatively  safe  as  long  as  the  Hottentots 
were  kept  at  bay.  At  one  time  during  the  fight  the 
enemy  were  heard  to  shout  to  one  another  to  throw 
fire  on  the  thatch.  I  need  hardly  add  that  it  proved  a 
most  anxious  day  to  my  esteemed  and  venerable  friend, 
who  was  only  temporarily  residing  at  Otjimbingue, 
Rehoboth  being  his  proper  quarters.  I  regret  to  say 
that,  having  returned  there  with  his  family  at  a  later 
period,  he  was  exposed  to  even  greater  danger  than 
those  he  had  just  passed  through,  and  in  consequence 
of  the  fearful  privations  and  hardships  then  endured, 
added  to  mental  anxiety,  the  poor  man  lost  his  life,  to 
the  universal  regret  of  every  acquaintance  and  friend  ; 
even  some  of  the  Hottentots  seeming  to  have  been 
touched  with  regret  at  his  untimely  death. 
4 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Flight  of  the  Namaquas — Alarming  rumors — Frederick  Green — Plan  to 
surprise  the  Hottentot  head-quarters — A  treacherous  European — 
Spoil  taken  from  the  Namaquas — Return  of  the  victors  to  Otjim- 
bingue — Thrown  into  arrears — Attack  of  ophthalmia — Dangerous 
trust — Sad  calamity — The  cry  of  vengeance — Victoria  Falls. 

7^  HEIR  late  defeat  had  terribly  scared  the  Hotten 
tots,  but  those  who  were  best  acquainted  with 
their  revengeful  and  proud  nature,  well  knew  that  they 
would  sooner  or  later  make  renewed  efforts  to  recover 
their  lost  ground.  To  be  beaten  by  the  Damaras,  their 
dogs,  as  they  called  them,  was  a  thing  they  could  not 
understand,  and  which  they  could  neither  forget  nor 
forgive.  They  admitted  they  had  been  terribly  thrashed, 
but  many  unexpected  causes,  they  said,  had  contrib 
uted  to  this  result.  Thus,  the  Damaras  had  been 
secretly  sheltered  and  abetted  by  Europeans,  while  they 
were  openly  assisted  by  the  QErlams  (people  born  or 
bred  in  the  colony,  or  in  a  wider  sense,  simply  brought 
up  by  white  men),  and  who  had  from  time  to  time 
become  domiciled  in  Damaraland.  The  first  of  these 
insinuations  was  quite  false,  while,  though  the  latter 
statement  was  correct,  it  scarcely  justified  the  stress 
they  laid  upon  it,  as  not  more  than  half-a-dozen  indi 
viduals  had  assisted  the  Damaras.  These  assertions 
were  simply  made  in  order  to  hide  their  shame. 

The    Namaquas,  very   soon    after   the  events  here 


ALARMING   RUMORS.  75 

narrated,  abandoned  Schmelen'^s  Hope,  hitherto  their 
head-quarters,  as  no  longer  tenable,  and  fled  to  Eikhams, 
formerly  their  chief  residence.  This  place  was  better 
capable  of  defence,  more  distant  from  their  enemies, 
and  indeed,  taken  all  in  all,  it  was  the  finest  place  in 
the  whole  of  Damaraland. 

Scarcely»a  day  now  passed  without  rumors  that  a 
commando  of  Hottentots  was  en  roiite  to  attack  Otjim- 
bingue;  and  it  was  no  longer  doubted,  or  denied,  that 
they  intended  to  involve  me  in  the  general  destruction 
contemplated.  Accordingly,  anxious  as  I  really  was 
to  keep  neutral,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  fight  them 
should  they  again  appear  in  the  place.  But  with  the 
exception  of  myself,  and  servants,  and  my  stanch  and 
attached  friend  Frederick  Green,  all  the  Europeans  kept 
aloof.  And  I  regret  to  say  that  there  were  even  some 
among  them  that  would  not  have  cared  to  see  me 
ruined,  if  not  destroyed.  And  yet,  with  but  one  or 
two  exceptions,  these  were  all  dependent  on  me,  not 
only  for  articles  of  exchange,  but  for  their  very  bread. 
Indeed,  many  a  time  have  I  stinted  myself  in  order  to 
supply  their  wants.  I  had  no  wish  to  see  them  actually 
engaged  in  war,  but  I  did  expect,  under  the  circum 
stances,  to  have  had  their  sympathy  at  least.  As  it 
was,  this  was  entirely  with  the  Hottentots.  I  speak 
this  advisedly,  for  among  the  booty  captured  in  the 
recent  fight,  there  were  found  several  letters  from  many 
of  these  men,  addressed  to  Christian  Afrikaner,  ex 
pressing  but  too  clearly  their  inimical  feelings  toward 
me.  These  letters  are  still  in  my  possession,  and  can 
be  produced  at  any  time  to  corroborate  my  statement. 

At  last   these  repeated  threats  of  the  Hottentots 


76  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

became  insupportable,  and  it  was  determined  to  attack 
the  enemy  before  he  could  carry  his  own  plans  into 
execution.  We  were  perfectly  aware  that  they  were  in 
even  greater  terror  of  a  surprise  than  the  Damaras,  and 
it  was  calculated  that  a  blow  directed  at  their  head 
quarters,  if  successful,  would  doubly  intimidate  them. 
A  plan  was  accordingly  made  to  surprise  Eikhams  ;  and 
Mr.  Green,  having,  by  unanimous  consent,  been  elected 
leader  of  the  expedition,  he  in  a  few  days  set  out  at 
the  head  of  a  most  respectable  force,  which,  before  it 
reached  its  destination,  was  said  to  have  increased  to 
fully  1500  men.  But  even  if  this  could  be  proved  cor 
rect,  not  one-half  of  the  number  could  have  been  relied 
on  in  the  event  of  any  serious  resistance.  The  plans 
were  devised  and  executed  with  all  possible  secrecy 
and  expedition,  and  had  it  not  been  for  a  certain  Euro 
pean  who  rode  express  to  give  the  Namaquas  warning 
of  our  approach,  they  must  have  been  surprised  and 
consequently  taken  at  great  disadvantage.  As  it  was, 
they  had  not  only  time  for  preparation,  but  had  actually 
removed  their  camp  to  some  distance.  But  they  were 
promptly  followed  up,  and  at  noon,  a  few  days  after 
ward,  my  friend  encountered  them  drawn  up  in  battle- 
array,  infantry  and  ox-riders  being  stationed  in  the 
centre,  with  a  considerable  body  of  horse  on  each  flank. 
The  Damaras  at  once  made  a  dash  at  them,  notwith 
standing  the  exposed  nature  of  the  ground,  the  Nama 
quas  having  extended  themselves  along  a  level  ridge, 
up  the  bare  sides  of  which  it  was  absolutely  necessary 
to  advance.  It  was  gallantly  done,  and  after  only  wait 
ing  to  exchange  a  volley  or  two,  the  Namaquas  fled 
helter-skelter,  the  Damaras  pursuing  hotly. 


PLAN   TO   SURPRISE   EIKHAMS.  77 

Mr.  Green,  with  a  small  party,  was  in  a  short  time 
accidentally  separated  from  the  main  body  of  his  men, 
and  he  assured  me  that  it  was  fully  two  hours  before 
he  was  able  to  discover  the  position  of  his  followers. 
He  was  finally  led  to  them  by  the  sound  of  the  firing, 
which  had  become  desultory,  and  evidently  extended 
over  a  great  extent  of  country.  It  would  seem  that  the 
Namaquas  possessed  more  than  one  camp,  for  the 
Damaras  stormed  and  captured  several  positions  occu 
pied  by  wagons.  Upward  of  thirty  of  these  were  de 
stroyed,  only  a  couple  being  reserved  for  carrying  the 
wounded,  booty,  etc. 

A  running  fight  had  been  kept  up  for  several  hours, 
during  which  time  the  Namaquas  had  been  chased 
eight  or  ten  miles,  and  night  was  gathering  its  shadows 
over  the  fierce  scene,  when  at  last  they  came  to  bay. 
having  taken  refuge  on  a  hill  of  a  rather  formidable 
nature.  Large  droves  of  cattle  and  sheep  were  observed 
near  the  summit,  and  several  individuals  greatly  dis 
tinguished  themselves  in  attempting  to  carry  off  some 
of  these,  and  in  more  than  one  instance  they  proved 
successful.  Mr.  Green  himself  felt  sorely  tempted  to 
encamp  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  recommence  the 
fighting  early  next  morning.  But  »on  more  mature 
reflection,  and  remembering  the  peculiar  and  doubtful 
character  of  those  whom  he  commanded,  he  deemed  it 
more  prudent  to  retire  at  once  with  the  booty  already 
secured,  and  the  victory  thus  far  gained.  This  was 
accordingly  done,  and  the  Damaras  bivouacked  that 
night  at  one  of  the  chief  wagon  camps  captured  in  the 
course  of  the  fight.  The  retreat  was  continued  on  the 
following  morning,  in  good  order  and  without  molesta- 


78  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

tion  from  the  enemy,  a  solitary  horseman  merely  show 
ing  himself  occasionally  at  a  respectful  distance  during 
that  day.  It  is  said,  however,  with  what  truth  I  can 
not  tell,  that  a  small  party  of  Damaras,  greedier  than 
the  rest,  who  had  remained  behind  for  further  feasting 
and  plunder,  were  surprised  in  their  "  revels  "  and  killed. 
But  of  those  who  had  been  actually  engaged,  or  who 
retreated  in  time,  only  one  or  two  were  slain,  while  very 
few  were  wounded.  What  loss  the  Namaquas  sustained 
was  not  well  ascertained,  but  it  may  be  presumed  to 
have  been  trivial,  since  they  never  allowed  any  one  to 
approach  at  all  close  to  them.  Unfortunately  some 
Namaqua  women  lost  their  lives  in  the  general  mette, 
but  whether  designedly  or  accidentally  killed  will  pro 
bably  never  be  known. 

But  if  the  killed  were  comparatively  few,  the  booty 
was  very  great  ;  as  is  usual,  however,  in  all  savage  war 
fare,  there  was  a  great  deal  of  waste.  Fifty  head  of 
cattle  were  daily  slaughtered  for  food  for  the  army. 
The  original  capture,  therefore,  must  have  been  immense. 
I,  whom  the  captors  requested  to  act  as  umpire  in  the 
division  of  the  spoil,  had  some  difficulty  in  satisfying 
the  many  hundred  claimants  that  appeared  for  a  share. 
But  I  did  my  best,  nor  did  I  reserve  a  single  head  for 
my  own  personal  benefit,  though  I  had  suffered  much 
indirectly. 

The  return  of  the  victors  to  Otjimbingue  presented 
a  most  animated  spectacle,  and  would  have  afforded  a 
capital  subject  for  the  lively  and  clever  pencil  of  my 
friend  Baines.  The  Reverend  Mr.  Schroder,  however, 
who  happened  to  be  present,  did  his  best  to  reproduce 
the  scene  by  means  of  the  camera.  Unfortunately  his 


THROWN  ^INTO   ARREARS.  79 

negatives  proved  insufficient  to  bring  out  clearly  the 
many  characteristics  of  the  barbaric  scene  and  the  por 
traits  of  the  principal  leaders. 

For  several  preceding  seasons  the  elephant-hunters, 
through  a  variety  of  causes,  had  been  very  unsuccessful 
in  their  efforts  to  obtain  ivory.  But  their  wants,  so  far 
from  decreasing  with  their  diminished  good  fortune, 
seemed  rather  on  the  increase,  and  they  had  drawn 
heavily  on  me  for  supplies.  The  consequence  of  this 
was  that  I  also  fell  into  considerable  arrears  with  my 
supporters  at  the  Cape.  The  only  property  available 
for  immediate  realization  was  my  cattle,  and  of  which  I 
certainly  (though  it  can  hardly  be  said  fortunately)  pos 
sessed  a  goodly  number.  But  the  danger  of  getting  them 
safely  to  the  Cape  market  was  immense,  nay,  friend  and 
foe  pronounced  it  an  impossibility  ;  the  latter. had  been 
stung  to  madness  by  their  losses  and  reverses,  and  cared 
but  little  whom  they  made  to  suffer,  could  they  but 
revenge  themselves  in  some  way.  Indeed,  they  had 
openly  declared  that  they  would  make  me  pay  for  their 
ill-luck,  should  they  have  the  chance  of  falling  in  with 
my  cattle.  Nevertheless  I  had  no  choice,  for  ruin  and 
bankruptcy  were  the  certain  consequences  were  I  unable 
to  carry  out  my  intentions. 

Mr.  Green  having  kindly  offered  to  undertake  the 
dangerous  trust,  and  knowingxthat  I  could  pretty  well 
rely  on  most  of  my  servants,  my  resolution  was  taken 
to  risk  all.  I  was  myself  incapacitated  from  accom 
panying  the  cattle,  in  consequence  of  a  terrible  attack 
of  ophthalmia,  which  had  for  a  long  time  quite  blinded 
me.  threatening  to  deprive  me  ultimately  of  sight  alto 
gether  !  I  was,  moreover,  anxious  to  remove  my  family 


80  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

and  the  most  valuable  portion  of  my  movable  property 
to  a  place  of  safety,  and  had  accordingly  arranged  to 
proceed  to  Walwich  Bay  as  soon  as  my  friend  should 
have  taken  his  departure,  with  a  view  of  trying  to  obtain 
a  vessel  to  convey  us  to  the  Cape,  where  I  had  appointed 
to  meet  my  cattle,  etc.  But  short-sighted  man  pro 
poses,  and  God,  in  his  infinite  wisdom,  disposes  ;  and 
never  was  the  saying  more  truly  verified  than  in  the 
present  case.  I  had  reached  the  sea-shore  in  safety 
with  my  wife  and  family,  a  vessel  had  been  secured,  our 
effects  shipped,  and  only  a  day  remained  before  our 
embarkation,  when,  oh,  horrors  !  Green  and  Haybrittel 
made  their  sudden  appearance.  I  was  suffering  most 
acutely,  but  though  I  could  not  see  the  former,  I  rec 
ognized  but  too  well  his  familiar  voice  and  step.  No 
words  were  needed  to  tell  me  the  cause  of  his  untimely 
presence,  and  I  grasped  his  proffered  hand,  fervently 
exclaiming,  "Thank  God,  you  at  least  are  safe  !  Of 
course  my  cattle  and  other  property  are  gone  ;  but  tell 
me  the  worst  in  as  few  words  as  possible." 

"  Alas,  Andersson  !  "  my  friend  sorrowfully  rejoined, 
"  not  only   are  your  cattle  and  effects   lost,  but  several 

of  your  people  are  killed,  and  I  myself  and  H here, 

escaped  the  general  destruction  by  a  miracle.  We  had 
just  got  nicely  over  what  we  considered  the  most  dan 
gerous  part  of  the  road,  having  arrived  within  an  hour's 
ride  on  horseback  of  Rehoboth,  and  the  chief  Wilhelm 
Zwartbooi  had  received  us  most  kindly,  giving  us  a  fine 
place  to  graze  and  rest  the  cattle  on.  We  never  dreamt 
of  any  immediate  danger.  But  we  had  sadly  miscalculated 
our  safety,  for  on  the  following  morning  after  our  arrival, 
when  a  move  had  been  decided  on  with  a  view  of  driv- 


DEATH   OF  JONATHAN.  8 1 

ing  the  cattle  still  nearer  to  the  head-quarters  of  your 
friends,  we  weretreacherously  attacked  by  overwhelming 
numbers,  just  as  the  '  trek  '  had  got  into  a  narrow  part 
of  the  road,  and  in  five  minutes  poor  Jonathan,  his  wife, 
two  children,  woman  servant,  and  several  men  were 

killed.     N—    -  and   H 's  brother  here  at  first  made 

their  escape,  but  were  finally  captured,  and,  for  aught 
we  know,  may  be  dead  by  this  time.  As  for  myself  and 
— ,  we  had  ridden  somewhat  in  advance,  our  pres 
ence  at  Rehoboth  having  been  requested,  with  a  view 
of  consulting  us  about  some  important  news  just 
received,  concerning  ourselves  and  our  kind  host's  safety. 
And  thus,  my  dear  Andersson,  were  we  mercifully  pre 
served.  But  we  were  far  from  safe,  as  you  will  pres 
ently  hear. 

"  It  appears  that  the  Hottentots  had  received  notice 
of  our  progress  by  one,  if  not  more,  of  our  soi-disant 
European  friends — out  upon  the  traitors  !— and  had 
thus  been  enabled  to  take  steps  for  our  destruction.  We 
had  been  surrounded,  unobserved,  during  the  early  part 
of  the  night  preceding  the  eventful  morning  in  ques 
tion  ;  they  had  allowed  myself  and  H to  pass  un 
molested,  not  from  any  good-will  toward  us,  but  proba 
bly  out  of  sheer  cowardice,  well  knowing  that  we  would 
sell  our  lives  dearly  in  defence  of  our  property  (Green 
and  H-  -  had  a  direct  interest  in  the  cattle),  if  not, 
perhaps  frustrate  their  villainous  designs.  Poor  Jona 
than  !  he  died  as  he  had  lived — a  brave  man  ;  but  there 
was  not  the  slightest  chance  given  him  for  preserving 
his  life,  for  after  the  terrible  volley  poured  in  upon  him 
and  his  poor  inoffensive  family,  he  had  only  just  time  to 
fire  his  rifle  once,  when  he  received  a  bullet  in  the  neck, 


4* 


82  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

causing  him  to  fall  heavily  forward.  '  God  help  you, 
wife  ;  I  can  do  no  more  for  you  !  '  was  all  that  he  could 
say,  and  then  expired.  We  heard  this  and  many  other 
details  of  the  sad  scene  from  Netty,  the  Damara  woman 
who  accompanied  Jonathan's  family,  and  who  was 
brought  to  the  station  in  the  course  of  the  day  in  a 
dying  state,  from  a  wound  in  the  breast. 

"  It  is  my  firm  conviction,"  my  friend  continued, 
"  that  the  cattle,  etc.,  might  have  been  retaken  had 
our  friends,  the  Rehobothians,  at  once  accompanied  me 
in  pursuit  of  the  marauders,  as  I  requested.  At  the 
same  time  it  is  impossible  to  blame  them  much  for 
their  hesitation,  as  the  events  that  quickly  followed  will 
show.  The  news  received,  about  which  we  had  been 
called  to  Rehoboth,  amounted  to  this;  a  second,  if  not 
a  third,  commando,  headed  by  Henric  Sex  or  '  Nanile,' 
the  greatest  rogue  of  all  the  rogues  in  this  land  of 
scoundrelism,  had  been  seen  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
it 'was  ascertained  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  villains  who 
had  attacked  us  were  to  join  this  party  or  parties  in  a 
combined  movement  against  the  station  itself,  not  only 
because  the  people  had  tried  to  befriend  me  and  the 
Damara  cause  in  general,  but  on  the  score  of  private 
grievances.  And  the  inhabitants  had  hardly  time  to 
make  a  few  hurried  preparations  for  defence  when  the 
combined  force  appeared,  fully  700  hundred  strong, 
and  at  once  surrounded  the  place  within  rifle  range. 
The  greater  portion  of  the  enemy  were  mounted,  and 
all  well-armed,  and  against  this  truly  formidable  host, 
the  Rehobothians  could  hardly  oppose  one  hundred 
men,  not  one  half  of  whom,  moreover,  were  efficiently 
armed.  But  notwithstanding  these  disadvantages  our 


A   CRUSHING  BLOW.  83 

friends  showed  a  determined  front,  and  steadily  refused 
to  listen  to  the  demands  of  the  enemy,  who  ordered  the 
Rehobothians  to  give  up  instantly  myself  and  any  other 
white  man  to  whom  they  might  have  afforded  protec 
tion,  as  also  to  abandon  for  once  and  forever  the  Da- 
mara  cause.  But  though  our  stanch  friends  steadily 
refused  to  listen  to  such  conditions,  they  knew  they 
they  were  in  reality  incompetent  to  give  us  the  neces 
sary  protection,  should  the  place  be  carried  by  general 
assault,  and  of  which  there  really  seemed  to  be  every 
probability.  Of  course  there  was  nothing  for  us  to  do 
but  to  decamp.  H—  -'s  brother  and  N—  -  unfortu 
nately  lurched  and  dodged  so  long  about  the  neighbor 
hood  that  they  were  ultimately  captured,  and  heaven 
only  knows  whether  they  are  dead  or  alive  by  this 

time  ;  poor  fellows  !    As  for  myself  and  H ,  we  were 

considerately  furnished  with  horses  and  guides,  and  by 
these  means  we  have  succeeded  in  arriving  here  in 
safety  ;  but  we  are  sadly  knocked  about,  what  with 
frightful  roads,  constant  travel,  little  or  no  clothing, 
and  still  less  food.  And  now  what's  to  be  done,  An- 
dersson  ?  I  am  quite  ready  for  anything  and  every 
thing.  Point  but  the  way  to  enable  us  to  revenge 
ourselves  upon  our  treacherous  foe  !  " 

Grasping  my  friend's  hand  once  more,  and  with  my 
teeth  hard  set,  I  exclaimed,  •'  There  is  but  one  thing  to 
do,  we  must  punish  the  scoundrels;  they  made  a  sad 
mistake  in  allowing  you  and  me  to  escape,  as  they  will 
soon  know  to  their  cost.  Go  back  to  see  what  the 
Damaras  will  do  for  us.  I  have  indirectly  been  the 
means  of  attaining  for  them  their  liberty;  if  there  be  a 
spark  of  gratitude  in  them  they  will  now  stand  by  us 


84  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

in  our  hour  of  need ;  go  and  collect  such  as  are  willing 
to  act  with  us,  and  I  will  follow  as  soon  as  my  eyesight 
is  a  little  improved." 

Thus  was  crushed  at  one  fell  blow  all  hopes  of  hap 
piness  and  prosperity!  Many  a  man,  I  venture  to  say, 
far  more  determined  than  myself,  might  have  felt  his 
spirit  cowed,  and  pursued  a  less  bold  course  than  that 
which  I  adopted.  Some  friends  (?)  indeed,  were  good 
enough  to  hint  that  I  ought  to  have  rested  content  with 
my  losses,  and  that  I  should  only  bring  additional 
troubles  and  calamities  on  my  head  by  any  further 
movements  in  this  sad  affair.  But  I  neither  could  nor 
would  argue  thus.  I  could  not  conscientiously  consider 
the  lost  property  as  my  own,  so  long  as  I  still  remained 
a  debtor.  But  even  could  I  have  afforded  the  loss — and 
it  was  not  a  trifle,  amounting,  as  it  did,  at  the  lowest 
estimate  to  upward  of  ^3,000,  there  being  1,600  head 
of  large  horned  cattle  alone — would  it  have  been  fair  to 
have  left  the  fate  of  my  poor  murdered  people  unpun 
ished  ?  Would  not  those  very  friends  have  been  fore 
most  in  branding  my  conduct  as  pusillanimous  and 
cowardly  had  I  not  tried  to  strike  one  blow  for  the 
dead  ?  God  forbid  that  I  should  have  ever  been  such 
a  coward  !  Even  had  I  been  fully  aware  of  the  terrible 
consequences  of  the  step  I  was  about  to  take — and 
maybe  I  was — I  would  still  have  acted  as  I  did.  Even 
my  loving  wife  felt  the  necessity  of  the  act,  terrible  as 
the  alternative  must  have  appeared  to  her  at  this  criti 
cal  juncture,  when  everything  was  prepared  for  our 
departure  from  a  land  and  a  people  who  had  combined 
to  prove  so  destructive  to  our  peace  and  our  prosperity. 
Without  a  murmur,  without  one  word  of  complaint,  she 


MR.   THOMAS  BAINES.  8$ 

sanctioned,  by  her  quiet  submission  to  fate,  my  irrev 
ocable  decision,  and  thus  I  was  spared  the  painful 
necessity  of  acting  in  opposition  to  her  will.  God,  it 
is  true,  has  said:  "  Vengeance  is  mine!  "  But  I  think 
there  are  and  must  be  occasions  when  we  may  be 
allowed  to  take  it  into  our  own  hands,  and  if  so,  surely 
mine  was  one. 

But  before  closing  this  chapter,  I  must  not  omit  to 
mention  that  Mr.  Thomas  Baines,  the  artist,  was  stay 
ing  with  me  at  this  period,  for  the  purpose  of  illustrat 
ing  certain  birds,  etc.,  intended  for  a  work  on  Natural 
History  that  I  was  then  preparing  for  the  press.  This 
gentleman  was  the  companion  of  Livingstone  for  a 
time,  and  subsequently  with  Mr.  James  Chapman.  By 
the  published  narrative  of  the  latter,  the  reader  is  prob 
ably  aware  that  they  had  to  some  extent  failed  in  their 
attempt  at  exploring  the  famous  Zambezi  river;  but, 
as  a  set-off,  they  had  visited  the  glorious  and  wonderful 
"  Victoria  Falls,"  an  event  enough  to  satisfy  any  ordi 
nary  ambition.  Mr.  Baines  kindly  presented  me  and 
my  wife  with  one  of  his  pictures,  representing  one  of 
the  most  charming  views  of  these  stupendous  Falls — 
said  to  far  exceed  in  grandeur  and  general  interest  those 
of  Niagara  !  And  I  secured  a  few  more  at  a  moderate 
price.  I  also  induced  my  friend  to  paint  a  picture  on 
the  same  subject  for  the  King  of  Sweden,  who,  I  knew, 
was  a  lover  of  the  art,  and  no  mean  artist  himself,  and 
it  would  perhaps  afford  me  the  opportunity  in  this 
humble  manner  of  showing  my  duty  and  respect  to  my 
sovereign,  to  whom  I  was  personally  known,  and  whose 
royal  father  had  thought  me  worthy  of  a  gold  medal 
for  meritorious  services  in  the  field  of  exploration  and 


86  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

discovery.     His  Majesty  graciously  accepted  the  gift, 
acknowledging  it  by  a  letter  in  his  own  hand,  and  the 
picture  now  adorns  the  chambers  of  the  Royal  Palace 
at  Stockholm,  so  famed  for  its  architectural  grandeur. 
Thus  I  had  the  double  pleasure  of  having  been  able  to 
please  my  sovereign  and  serve  my  friend's  interest  by 
exhibiting  one  of  his  efforts  in  so  conspicuous  and  hon 
orable  a  position.     Mr.    Baines  afterward  published  a 
series  of  chromo-lithographic  views  of  the  Victoria  Falls, 
executed  in  the   most  finished  style.     Bnt  not  content 
with    serving    me    with    his   pencil,    he   spontaneously 
offered  to  accompany  me  to  Otjimbingue,  and  to  take 
charge    of  the    place    during  my  absence    against  the 
Namaquas,  and    to    defend    it    if  necessary.     He  had 
seen  something  of  military  movements  during  one   of 
the  Caffre  wars.     This   experience  and  his  various  and 
versatile  talents  peculiarly  fitted  him  for  the  task ;  and 
I  mention  this  disinterested  act  of  my  friend  with  more 
pleasure   as,    with    very   few    exceptions,  I    had    been 
abandoned  to  my  fate  by  the  white  population  of  Da- 
maraland.     With  some  this  had,  perhaps,  been  an  act 
of  necessity,  but  with  others  it  arose  from  indifference 
or   cowardice,   while    many    kept   aloof  out   of   sheer 
enmity. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

An  Irish  Munchausen — Rehoboth — Preparations  for  our  expedition 
against  the  Namaquas — Wilhelm  Zwartbooi — Conflicting  accounts 
of  the  position  of  the«  enemy — Last  acts  before  the  fight — A  disap 
pointment — Severe  example — Daring  act  committed  by  Hotten 
tots — Successful  flank  movement — Severely  wounded — Precarious 
position. 

NEARLY  three  weeks  had  now  elapsed  since  my 
wife  took  her  departure  for  the  Cape,  and  my  eye 
sight  was  slowly  but  steadily  improving  ;  but  no  news 
had  yet  reached  me  of  Mr.  Green.  It  was,  therefore, 
with  considerable  anxiety  that  I  awaited  the  result  of 
his  mission  ;  first,  because  he  had  to  pass  through  a 
Namaqua  tribe  under  Jacobus  Boyce,  who,  though  they 
professed  friendship  for  us,  were  not  altogether  to  be 
trusted,  as  their  chief  was  known  to  be  exasperated  in 
consequence  of  the  untimely  death  of  his  daughter,  the 
wife  of  Jan  Jonker,  whom  I  have  spoken  of  as  having 
been  unfortunately  killed  in  the  engagement  headed  by 
Mr.  Green  ;  secondly,  the  Damaras  migJit  refuse  to  lis 
ten  to  his  representations,  or  at  least  throw  obstacles  in 
his  way.  But  at  last  a  letter  arrived,  informing  me  of 
his  safe  arrival  at  Otjimbingue,  and  of  the  readiness  of 
the  Damaras  to  give  me  the  necessary  assistance,  urg 
ing  me  at  the  same  time  to  make  all  possible  haste,  as 
things  did  not  progress  very  briskly.  Thus  far  well. 
A  day  sufficed  to  make  the  needful  arrangements, 


88  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

and  I  and  Mr.  Baines  set  out  for  Otjimbingue,  which 
we  reached  after  a  quick  and  safe  journey.  And  here 
an  unexpected  pleasure  awaited  me ;  for  not  only  had 

B ,  the    missing   white    man,  turned    up  safe   and 

sound,    but    H 's   brother    and    N —    •   had    been 

restored  to  liberty  ;  and  be  it  said  to  the  honor  of  these 
men,  they  were  ready  once  more  to  risk  their  lives  in 
my  service.  This  time,  perhaps,  their  determination, 
as  was  natural,  was  spiced  with  a  strong  feeling  of 
revenge  ;  for  it  appears  that  they  had  suffered  dread 
fully  during  their  captivity,  being  not  only  exposed  to 
great  indignities,  but  made  to  suffer  the  very  extremes 
of  hunger,  thirst,  and  cold.  Thus,  when  caught,  they 
had  been  stripped  of  all  their  clothes,  except  their  shirt 
and  trousers,  and,  thus  exposed,  had  been  made  to 
walk  bare-footed  and  bare-headed  in  a  broiling  sun  ;  at 
night — and  the  weather  was  piercingly  cold — sleeping 
without  any  covering.  And,  to  cap  all  this  misery, 
their  captors  were  in  the  habit  of*  telling  them  to  pre 
pare  for  death,  as  their  execution  had  been  decided  on, 
and  could  no  longer  be  delayed.  It  may  well  be  imag 
ined  what  sort  of  life  the  poor  fellows  led  in  conse 
quence.  The  only  man  who  showed  any  approach  to 
compassion  for  their  forlorn  condition,  was  the  chief 
himself,  and  it  was  to  him  they  ultimately  owed  their 
liberty,  though  it  cannot  be  said  to  have  been  a  disin 
terested  action,  since  he  demanded  a  considerable  ran 
som  for  the  privilege. 

As  for  B ,  according  to  his  own  account,,his  ad 
ventures  by  the  way  had  been  truly  marvellous,  prov 
ing  him  a  very  Goliath — or  rather  a  David — for  num 
bers  of  valiant  men  fell  before  his  magic  strength.  And 


JOINED   BY  A   NUMEROUS   FORCE.  89 

the  picture  he  drew  of  the  hunger,  thirst,  and  other 
privations  that  he  had  suffered,  and  of  the  unconquera 
ble  spirit  with  which  he  supported  them,  was  enough 
to  have  drawn  tears  of  compassion  from  the  eyes  of  his 
listeners,  only  they  did  not  altogether  believe  him,  most 
unkindly  hinting  that  he  claimed  some  relationship  to 
Munchausen  of  immortal  fame.  In  short,  he  was  a 
highly  imaginative  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle. 

I  stayed  but  one  day  ;  and  having  appointed  a  ren 
dezvous  for  the  meeting  of  the  men  who  were  to  join 
me,  I  moved  on  to  it.  After  a  delay  here  of  three  days, 
I  found  myself  at  the  head  of  2,000  men,  a  number 
which  ultimately  swelled  to  3,000 — a  force  which,  if 
truly  effective,  would  have  enabled  me  to  pass  quickly 
from  one  end  of  Great  Namaqualand  to  the  other,  with 
out  much  difficulty.  But,  alas  !  there  were  really  com 
paratively  few  fighting  men ;  the  greater  part  was  a 
mere  rabble,  come  solely  for  the  purpose  of  rapine  and 
plunder,  at  once  the  curses  and  the  vultures  of  an 
army.  Moreover,' we  mustered  only  about  five  hundred 
guns,  half  of  which  were  utterly  useless,  many  actually 
wanting  a  cock,  a  pan,  a  mainspring,  or  other  equally 
important  part.  Nevertheless,  there  is  something 
cheering  in  numbers,  especially  when  contending  with 
a  savage  and  undisciplined  enemy,  whom  they  serve  to 
intimidate. 

I  therefore  looked  forward  with  some  confidence  to 
a  successful  issue  of  the  expedition,  the  more  so  as  I 
expected  a  strong  reinforcement  from  Wilhelm  Zwart- 
booi's  tribe,  who  had  expressly  requested  to  be 
allowed  to  join  us  in  any  attempt  to  be  made  against 
the  common  enemy.  The  Damaras,  indeed,  grumbled 


90  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

at  this,  deeming  themselves  quite  strong  enough  to 
punish  the  hostile  tribe  ;  moreover,  urging  that  it 
would  cause  too  much  delay  to  wait  for  them,  and 
enable  the  enemy  both  to  prepare  against  surprise  and 
for  defence.  But  I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  our 
allies  should  share  alike  with  us  success  or  defeat,  as  the 
case  might  turn  out,  and  thus  matters  were  allowed  to 
take  their  course. 

After  about  a  week's  journeying  we  found  ourselves 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Rehoboth,  but  though  I  had 
sent  more  than  one  express  to  inform  our  friends  of  our 
approach,  no  such  tidings  had  reached  them,  and  the 
very  first  intimation  they  had  of  us,  was  from  my  own 
man  whom  I  had  now  despatched  on  horseback. 
Nevertheless,  having  themselves  been- kept  in  a  kind  of 
siege,  as  it  were — that  is,  expecting  such  an  event 
daily — they  were  soon  ready,  and  being  supplied  with 
such  ammunition  as  I  could  spare,  they  joined  my 
standard  about  fifty  strong.  The  Namaquas  are  in 
general  bad  soldiers,  except  when  brought  to  bay  behind 
stone  walls,  when,  like  the  Turks,  nothing  short  of  a 
bayonet  or  assegai  charge  will  dislodge  them.  And 
knowing  that  an  enemy  would  never  attempt  to  meet 
us  in  an  open  field,  but  would  take  refuge  in  rocks  and 
precipices,  I  hailed  the  addition  fo  our  party  with  con 
siderable  satisfaction. 

No  one  exacfly  knew  the  whereabouts  of  the  Nama 
quas,  nor  could  we  obtain  any  reliable  information  on 
the  subject.  Some  said  we  should  find  them  one  or  two 
days'  journey  off  at  the  utmost,  while  others  doubled, 
and  even  trebled  the  distance.  It  was  of  course 
very  difficult  to  act  under  such  conflicting  accounts, 


THE   CRITICAL   MOMENT.  9! 

and  the  utmost  caution  was  necessary  in  so  steering 
our  course  as  to  avoid  being  ourselves  entrapped. 
But,  at  last,  after  many  a  false  alarm,  and  one 
slight  skirmish,  in  which  several  of  the  enemy  were 
killed,  and  more  than  one  of  our  party  had  narrow 
escapes,  one  man  being  shot  through  the  arm  and 
shoulder  of  his  jacket,  and  after  we  had  advanced  much 
farther  that  was  anticipated,  we  made  sure  of  having 
discovered  the  enemy's  stronghold.  Some  Berg  Da- 
maras  whom  we  had  captured,  declared  that  we  should 
find  them  in  a  range  of  hills  no  great  way  off,  and  which 
we  could  distinctly  see  from  our  camp. 

All  was  now  intense  eagerness.  We  carefully  con 
cealed  ourselves  in  an  extensive  hollow  during  the  day, 
while  several  scouts  were  sent  during  the  following  night 
to  reconnoitre  the  supposed  enemy's  position.  Our 
object  was  considerably  facilitated  by  a  conspicuous 
hill  lying  half  way,  and  commanding  a  full  view  of  the 
aforesaid  range.  The  spies  fully  corroborated  the  story 
of  the  Berg  Damaras,  and  preparations  were  quietly 
made  for  a  determined  assault  on  the  ensuing  night. 

I  felt  the  critical  moment  had  now  arrived,  and  made 
all  the  dispositions  that  I  thought  necessary  when 
about  to  engage  a  numerous,  determined,  and  probably 
strongly  fortified  enemy,  at  a  time  when  my  hours  on 
earth  might  be  numbered.  My  last  act,  as  may  well 
be  supposed,  was  a  long  and  affectionate  letter  to  my 
poor  wife,  expressing  my  deep  regret  at  the  destitute 
circumstances  in  which  I  must  unavoidably  leave  hen 
but  at  the  same  time  relying  implicitly  on  an  all-mer 
ciful  Providence,  who  had  thus  far  so  marvellously  pre 
served  me,  and  who  was  never  known  to  abandon  those 


92  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

who  placed  their  faith  and  trust  in  His  mercy  and  im 
measurable  love.  "  Tell  my  poor  father,"  I  concluded, 
"  that  if  I  fall  in  to-morrow's  fight,  I  shall  die  as  a  Chris 
tian  and  a  soldier." 

As  soon  as  darkness  had  sufficiently  set  in,  so  as  to 
hide  our  operations,  a  forward  movement  was  made, 
keeping  the  hill  above-mentioned  well  between  us  and 
the  supposed  whereabouts  of  the  enemy.  Having 
reached  its  base,  we  halted  to  make  the  final  prepara 
tions,  and  to  ascertain  that  they  had  not  decamped,  an 
event  we  had  greatly  dreaded  throughout  our  toilsome 
and  cautious  march.  Judging  from  the  fires  seen  from 
this  point  on  the  opposite  range,  the  enemy  was  in 
trenched  in  three  great  parties,  a  considerable  way  up 
the  face  of  the  rock.  To  meet  the  emergency,  I  divided 
my  men  into  as  many  divisions,  appointing  Mr.  Green 
to  that  destined  for  the  attack  on  the  left,  placing  Hay- 
brittel  with  a  second  on  my  right,  while  I  myself  led 
the  centre  in  person  against  what  appeared  to  be  the 
largest  of  their  strongholds.  Our  plan  was  to  make  the 
attack  at  break  of  day,  but,  the  intervening  distance 
not  being  very  great,  the  final  movement  was  delayed 
till  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  I  ordered 
a  simultaneous  advance  of  all  the  divisions,  the  distance 
that  each  had  to  go  being  nearly  the  same.  I  had  the 
greatest  difficulty  in  restraining  my  men  from  getting 
ahead  too  quickly,  they  seemed  so  eager  for  the  pend 
ing  fray.  Now  I  was  at  the  left  wing,  then  on  the 
right,  and  presently  back  to  the  centre,  begging  and 
commanding  alternately.  It  was  a  cold  moonlit  night, 
and  as  objects  were  discernible  a  long  way  off,  I  feared 
every  moment  to  see  our  movements  betrayed.  Indeed, 


FAIRLY    GULLED.  93 

I  had  no  doubt  about  it,  as  the  fires  were  suddenly 
stirred  into  a  blaze,  while  the  men  were  heard  calling 
to  one  another,  having  evidently  been  aroused  by  the 
violent  barking  of  the  dogs.  We  were  now  at  the  foot 
of  the  hill,  and  so  near  as  to  be  able  to  distinguish 
every  word  that  was  spoken.  Ordering  the  men  to  lie 
down,  I  listened  eagerly  for  further  signs  to  determine 
my  movements,  when,  after  awhile,  I  was  glad  to  find 
all  becoming  once  more  quiet.  As  there  was  no  longer 
any  time  to  be  lost,  we  rose  and  began  the  ascent,  which 
in  a  very  short  time  became  exceedingly  steep  and 
laborious,  considerably  decreasing  the  eagerness  of  my 
followers.  The  goal,  however,  was  reached  without  any 
accident  or  molestation  just  as  the  first  streak  of  dawn 
appeared,  though  from  the  shadows  thrown  by  the  hill, 
objects  could  be  discerned  but  dimly.  I  was  the  first  man 
to  leap  into  the  werft,  where,  to  my  disgust,  instead 
of  a  numerous  enemy,  I  found  only  some  poor  Berg 
Damaras.  I  paused  in  sheer  astonishment,  but  just  at 
this  moment  heavy  firing  began  on  my  right,  and  feel 
ing  certain  that  my  friends  had  been  more  fortunate, 
and  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  render  them  assistance, 
as  also  with  a  view  of  cutting  off  the  enemy,  I  contin 
ued  the  ascent,  shouting  to  the  men  to  follow  ;  but  with 
a  very  few  exceptions,  they  all  remained  behind  to 
plunder  the  wretched  abodes  of  the  flying  inhabitants. 
In  five  minutes  every  hut  was  in  a  blaze,  and  a  wild  but 
harassing  sight  presented  itself  to  my  view  from  my 
elevated  position.  Never  was  enterprise  better  planned, 
and  in  the  beginning  so  successfully  executed,  followed 
by  such  an  indifferent  result.  We  had  been  fairly 
gulled,  and  I  felt  immeasurably  disgusted  accordingly. 


94  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

But  I  will  pass  quickly  over  what  followed.  Suffice 
it  to  say  that  we  captured  a  large  number  of  women 
and  children  (Berg  Damaras),  some  sheep  and  goats,  and 
a  few  head  of  cattle.  I  did  so  out  of  compassion  for  the 
poor  creatures,  well  knowing  the  merciless  character  of 
my  followers.  In  about  an  hour  or  so  I  was  joined 
by  the  right  division,  who  had  been  even  less  success 
ful  than  ourselves.  As  for  Mr.  Green  and  his  party, 
they  had  never  encountered  an  enemy  nor  captured 
any  booty.  While  discussing  what  further  to  do,  one 
of  the  Rehobothians  brought  word  that  the  Afrikaners 
were  on  a  neighboring  hill,  and  had  actually  dared  us 
to  the  attack.  After  our  many  and  severe  disappoint 
ments  we  were  unwilling  to  lend  a  too  ready  ear  to  his 
tale,  and  I  exclaimed,  "  If  true,  it  is  the  best  news  we 
have  had  yet !  "  As  our  way  lay  in  the  direction  indi 
cated,  we  leisurely  followed  the  man,  and  did  find  sev 
eral  large  werfts,  but  all  were  deserted,  a  native  appear 
ing  only  here  and  there  in  the  distance,  timidly  peep 
ing  forth  from  behind  some  rock.  In  one  place,  how 
ever,  we  met  with  some  success,  having  captured^about 
seventy  or  eighty  head  of  cattle,  and  nine  hundred  or  a 
thousand  sheep  and  goats,  a  most  opportune  supply  to 
our  exhausted  larder.  Indeed,  we  had  been  without 
any  animal  food  for  some  days,  and  had  been  chiefly 
subsisting  on  "  veldt  cost,"  i.  e.,  on  such  roots  as  the 
soil  yielded. 

By  this  time  the  day  was  far  advanced,  and  meeting 
with  water  we  encamped  for  the  night,  hoping  that  on 
the  morrow  we  should  have  a  nearer  acquaintance  with 
the  enemy,  of  whom  we  were  more  than  ever  determined 
to  give  a  good  account.  At  this  time  I  found  it  neces- 


SEVERE   EXAMPLE.  95 

sary  to  shoot  a  man  who  had  in  the  most  reckless 
and  daring  manner  set  my  commands  at  defiance.  I 
had  warned  the  Damaras,  at  the  very  outset  of  the  ex 
pedition,  that  I  would  suffer  no  disregard  of  my  author 
ity,  having  been  elected  commander  by  their  full  and 
free  consent.  This  severe  example  had  a  salutary 
effect  on  the  minds  of  my  cut-throat  followers. 

While  busy  making  the  camp  snug  and  safe  for  the 
night,  the  cry  was  suddenly  raised,  "  The  Hottentots! 
the  Hottentots !  "  and  sure  enough  a  few  horsemen 
were  observed  on  the  rising  ground  above  us,  less  than 
half  a  mile  off.  The  next  moment  they  were  seen  to 
dismount  and  deliberately  take  aim  at  some  object, 
which  we  too  surely  conjectured  to  be  some  unfortu 
nate  Damara,  who,  contrary  to  my  orders  and  warnings, 
had  strayed  thus  far  from  the  camp  in  search  of  food. 
It  was  a  daring  act  to  do  in  the  face  of  such  numbers, 
and  though  they  were  chased  away  .faster  than  they 
came,  we  had  the  mortification  to  know  that  we  had 
been  bearded  on  our  own  threshold  by  a  mere  handful 
of  men.  Deep  and  long  were  the  imprecations  uttered, 
and  the  vengeance  vowed  against  the  enemy  by  the 
Damaras,  though  for  my  part  I  could  not  help  admiring 
the  daring  and  hardihood  of  the  fellows.  And  no  one 
but  Jan  Jonker  himself,  I  felt  sure,  could  have  per 
formed  so  bold  and  rash  an  act. 

I  retired  that  night  to  rest,  with  considerable  anxiety 
for  the  morrow.  We  could  no  longer  doubt  that  we 
were  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  enemy,  and 
that  so  far  from  fleeing  from  us,  they  were  prepared  to 
give  us  battle.  I  was  very  poorly,  and  had  been  so 
from  the  commencement  of  our  march  ;  for,  in  addition 


96  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

to  weakness  of  the  eyes,  I  had  had  -more  than  one 
attack  of  fever,  and,  latterly,  an  old,  troublesome  enemy, 
the  rheumatism,  had  returned  with  some  severity. 
Indeed,  my  right  leg  was  so  much  affected  by  it,  that  I 
could  hardly  sit  a  horse.  But  I  dared  not  show  any 
weakness  to  my  followers,  as  it  was  absolutely  necessary 
to  have  nothing  but  cheerful  looks  and  a  confident 
aspect  before  them.  Oh,  how  often  is  it  thus  in  life— 
a  smiling  face,  with  an  ailing  body,  and  a  bruised  spirit 
beneath  the  surface  ! 

On  the  following  morning  we  were  early  astir,  and 
although  still  uncertain  of  the  enemy's  exact  where 
abouts,  we  had  a  shrewd  suspicion  that  they  were  to  be 
found  located  in  a  grim-looking  rock  a  few  miles  ahead 
of  us.  We  moved  accordingly  in  something  like  bat- 
»  tie-array,  and  as  we  proceeded,  fresh  cattle  and  sheep 
tracks  became  abundant ;  but  we  had  actually  reached 
the  base  of  the  hill  in  question,  which  we  now  clearly 
saw  was  of  great  extent  and  of  the  most  formidable 
character,  without  observing  anything  to  indicate  the 
presence  of  a  large  body  of  men.  But  just  at  this  junc 
ture,  the  advanced  scouts  waved  their  hands  as  a  sign 
for  us  to  hurry  on,  and  putting  spurs  to  my  horse,  I 
galloped  ahead,  followed  by  about  a  dozen  horsemen, 
when  lo !  less  than  half  a  mile  ahead  of  us,  and  in  full 
retreat,  were  a  number  of  horsemen — probably  the 
identical  ones  who  had  shown  themselves  so  boldly  on 
the  night  before  !  We  chased  them  at  the  top  of  our 
speed,  and  so  intent  were  we  on  the  pursuit  that  we 
should  probably  have  rushed  upon  our  own  destruction 
in  a  few  minutes  more,  had  not,  fortunately,  one  of  the 
horsemen  called  out,  "  Look,  there  are  people  on  the 


IN    SEARCH   OF   THE    ENEMY. 


97 


hill,  we  are  going  too  far!"  We  halted  accordingly, 
and  now  found  ourselves  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
hill  to  which  we  had  advanced,  and  which  here  pre 
sented  an  equally  steep  ascent.  I  saw  at  a  glance,  that 
if  the  enemy  were  really  ensconced  among  its  passes 
and  precipices — and  I  could  not  well  doubt  that  such 
was  the  case — we  should  have  tough  work  to  dislodge 
them.  For  the  first  time  I  began  to  entertain  some 
doubts  of  the  success  of  our  enterprise,  but  it  was  too 
late  to  think  of  this,  and  I  felt  certain  that,  were  time 
given  to  the  Damaras  to  fully  realize  the  extent  of  our 
peril,  we  must  utterly  fail. 

Hastily  scanning  the  face  of  the  mountain,  there 
fore,  I  soon  perceived  that  the  only  tolerably  accessible 
point  was  from  about  half-way  between  where  we  were 
now  stationed,  and  the  side  that  we  had  originally 
approached  from,  and  I  determined  to  make  the  first 
attack  here.  Seeing  the  Damaras  begin  to  come  up  in 
large  numbers,  I  instructed  Green  to  choose  two  of  the 
most  trustworthy  of  the  leaders  and  their  men,  and 
then  I  gave  the  word  to  storm  ;  and  right  gallantly  it 
was  done.  Being  quickly  joined  by  others  as  they  were 
coming  on,  I  had  the  satisfaction  shortly  to  see  the  hill 
side  swarming  with  dusky  warriors.  This  occupied 
hardly  ten  minutes,  and  shots  began  to  be  rapidly 
exchanged.  Feeling  satisfied  that  this  flank  movement 
was  a  success,  my  next  step  was  to  order  the  Rehoboth- 
ians,  and  a  strong  body  of  Damaras  to  follow  me.  My 
plan  was  to  keep  on  a  course  parallel  to  the  mountain, 
with  a  view  of  trying  to  draw  out  the  enemy's  strength 
and  position,  and  to  draw  off  their  attention  in  a  meas 
ure  from  the  storming  party,  and  finally  to  find  an 
5 


98  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

accessible  point  for  attack  full  in  front.  But  from  some 
misconception,  or  other  cause,  my  orders,  in  this 
instance,  were  not  carried  out  equally  satisfactorily, 
and  the  consequence  was  that,  after  having  proceeded 
for  some  distance,  I  found  only  the  friendly  Namaquas, 
Green,  and  a  few  others  following  me,  and  most  of  these 
even  were  some  way  behind.  I  was  making  for  a  gap 
or  ravine  in  the  mountain,  seen  about  midway  (and  in 
which  the  horsemen  had  sought  refuge),  where  I  ob 
served  a  body  of  men  moving  about  in  apparent  hurry 
and  confusion.  I  had  thus,  somewhat  incautiously, 
approached  to  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  paces  of 
the  rocks.  Indeed,  I  was  unconsciously  getting  right 
into  the  lion's  mouth,  as  it  were,  and  had  the  enemy 
been  less  eager — and  perhaps  less  frightened  too — they 
might  have  annihilated  us  to  a  man,  by  allowing  us 
quietly  to  pursue  our  course.  But  fortunately  just  at 
this  time  they  opened  fire,  and,  as  it  would  almost 
appear  from  the  result  that  followed,  on  me  alone,  for 
not  another  man  was  hurt.  It  was  an  awkward  situa 
tion,  the  whole  face  of  the  hill  for  full  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  seemed  to  present  one  vivid  streak  of  fire,  for 
nearly  at  the  same  moment  there  flashed  forth  from 
fully  five  hundred  guns  and  rifles  a  perfect  hailstorm 
of  bullets,  which  made  me,  strange  as  it  perhaps  sounds 
to  the  reader,  exclaim,  "  By  Heavens!  balls  are  here  as 
plentiful  as  blackberries  are  in  my  own  native  forests." 
And  what  was  more  strange,  I  was  unhurt!  But  ob 
serving  my  unsupported  condition,  I  was  turning  to 
seek  some  shelter  from  this  unpleasant  "  hail "  storm, 
when  a  second  volley  was  poured  upon  me,  and  this 
time  with  more  precision ;  for  I  was  simultaneously 


AWKWARD   SITUATION.  99 

struck  by  five  balls — one  grazing  my  left  arm  and 
elbow,  a  second  carrying  off  the  knuckle  of  the  pointer 
finger  on  the  right  hand,  a  third  dinting  the  stock  of 
the  rifle  just  under  the  little  finger,  a  fourth  carrying 
off"  the  heel  of  one  of  my  boots,  while  the  fifth  struck 
the  right  leg  a  little  below  the  knee,  laying  me  at  once 
prostrate. 

I  experienced  a  singular  sensation  when  I  thus 
found  myself  a  poor,  useless  cripple — if  life  itself  was 
not  at  stake.  It  was  not  fear,  for  as  yet  nothing  of  that 
kind  had  fortunately  troubled  me,  but  the  sense  of 
indescribable  oppression  and  faintness  about  the  heart, 
as  if  all  the  joys  and  pleasures  of  this  world  were  for 
ever  shut  out  from  my  existence.  I  was  conscious  that 
a  smile  once  crossed  my  features,  not  one  of  pleasure, 
certainly,  but  that  melancholy  smile  that  may  be  seen 
to  flit  across  a  human  face  when  a  friend  is  trying  to 
comfort  another  under  the  weight  of  heavy  misfortune, 
but  who,  though  grateful  for  the  sympathy,  finds  human 
comfort  of  no  avail.  Bowing  my  head  for  a  moment 
against  the  ground,  I  sighed  forth,  "  And  thus,  Oh 
God !  ends  my  existence — far  from  those  I  hold  dear ; 
but  Thy  will  be  done."  I  felt  much  calmer  and  more 
resigned  after  breathing  this  short  prayer,  and  was 
looking  up  to  ascertain  what  my  followers  were  about, 
when  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  Rehobothians,  making 
a  dash  in  a  stooping  position  for  the  rocks,  which  they 
must  have  reached  in  safety.  Turning  next  to  the 
mountains,  I  could  only  perceive  one  confused  mass  of 
combatants,  not  charging  and  retreating  openly,  but 
executing  all  their  movements  in  a  stealthy  hide-and- 
seek  manner.  The  place  was  admirably  adapted  for 


IOO  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

this  kind  of  warfare,  the  face  of  the  entire  mountain 
being  covered  by  huge  bowlders,  each  capable  of  shel 
tering  a  dozen  men  or  more. 

The  firing  had  now  become  general,  and  was  very 
severe.  At  the  lowest  estimate,  full  twelve  hundred  small 
arms  were  then  every  two  or  three  minutes  belching  forth 
smoke  and  fire?  the  rocks  constantly  echoing  the  reports. 
Again  and  again  the  cowardly  villains  poured  volley 
after  volley  upon  my  devoted  body  as  I  was  lying  help 
lessly  exposed  to  their  fury  ;  for  I  had  not  succeeded  in 
reaching  any  shelter  before  I  was  struck  down.  Once, 
indeed,  I  attempted  to  drag  myself  to  a  bush  about  fifty 
paces  off,  but  found  advance  or  retreat  alike  impossible. 
The  only  movement  I  was  capable  of  was  to  roll  par 
tially  over  on  my  back,  and  it  became  quite  clear  to 
me  that  both  the  bones  of  the  leg  must  be  shattered, 
for,  when  turning  on  my  back,  the  foot  refused  to  fol 
low,  in  fact,  remained  on  the  ground  at  a  right  angle  to 
the  leg.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  I  had  been 
recognized  by  the  enemy,  who  were  determined  to 
afford  me  no  chance  of  life,  and  it  may  hardly  be  cred 
ited,  but  nevertheless  it  is  a  fact,  that  they  kept  "  pelt 
ing  "  me  incessantly  with  bullets  for  upward  of  an  hour. 
Consequently,  if  there  was  one  bullet  that  day  directed 
against  me,  there  must  have  been  many  scores,  and  the 
only  marvel  is  that  I  was  not  riddled  with  the  shot. 

And  now  a  new  danger  threatened  me.  Stray 
bodies  of  Damaras  would  from  time  to  time  take  up 
a  position  at  my  back,  but  at  such  a  respectful  distance 
that,  so  far  from  their  missiles  doing  any  harm  to  the 
enemy,  they  would  fall  far  short,  in  fact,  were  more 
likely  to  hit  me  where  I  lay  ;  and  hundreds  of  bullets, 


PELTED   WITH   Bcj'LIlETS.  'l6t 

fired  by  heaven  knows  whom,  did  actually  strike  the 
ground  all  around  me,  and  may,  for  aught  I  know,  have 
occasionally  grazed  my  body,  or  clothing  at  least.  Once 
a  ball  struck  right  under  my  forehead,  as  I  was  resting 
it  momentarily  on  the  ground,  and  for  some  seconds  I 
verily  believed  myself  mortally  hit,  for  I  felt  a  difficulty 
in  breathing,  and  a  gurgling  sensation  in  my  throat  as 
if  choking  from  a  flow  of  blood,  but  it  arose  only  from 
the  abundance  of  dirt  and  dust  raised  by  the  violence 
of  the  shot.  It  was  high,  time,  however,  to  try  to  hide 
my  head  at  least,  which  I  partly  succeeded  in  doing  at 
the  cost  of  much  pain  and  labor,  having  scratched  a  hole 
with  my  hands  in  the  sun-baked  soil.  Had  my  wound 
been  less  dangerous  and  my  position  less  precarious,  it 
would  have  afforded  me  some  amusement  to  listen  to 
the  various  sounds  produced  by  the  bullets,  as  they 
sped  thick  and  fast  around  me,  for  there  was  the  spent 
ball,  the  musket  ball,  the  rifle  ball,  arrd  a  variety  of 
other  balls,  to  which  no  particular  place  can  be  assigned 
• — all  with  their  own  peculiar  sounds. 

But  the  enemy  was  at  last  compelled  to  desist,  hav 
ing  by  this  time  got  enough  to  do  in  defending  them 
selves,  and  I  was  quietly  and  resignedly  contemplating 
the  fierce  scene,  for,  with  the  exception  of  the  back  of 
the  ravine,  I  commanded  a  complete  view  of  the  whole 
face  of  the  mountain,  where  some  of  the  most  deter 
mined  resistance  was  met  with. 

Happening  to  glance  sideways,  I  perceived,  to  my 
consternation,  a  small  party  of  the  enemy,  who,  coming 
from  the  mountain  on  my  left,  on  horseback,  passed 
round  at  my  back, .  and  having  arrived  within  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  paces,  faced  full  round  upon  me. 


"IO2  JN0TES  OF  TRAVEL. 


Hitherto  I  had  not  faltered,  but  I  honestly  confess  that 
•  I  now  experienced  a  feeling  amounting  to  fear.  "  Ah, 
no  !  "  I  ejaculated  loudly,  "  a  thousand  times  rather 
death  than  fall  alive  into  your  hands  !  it  would  be  too 
horrible  a  fate  !  "  With  that  I  rolled  on  my  back 
quietly,  and  resting  the  rifle  on  my  left  leg,  which  I 
partly  raised  for  the  purpose,  I  took  a  deliberate  aim 
at  the  breast  of  the  foremost  foe.  Thus  posted,  I  felt 
sure  of  being  able  to  despatch  at  least  two  of  my  op 
ponents,  while  my  revolver  would  always  give  me  a 
good*chance  at  closer  quarter's,  should  they  venture  to 
advance.  The  moments  that  followed  were  full  of 
agony,  for  it  seemed  as  if  they  were  consulting  as  to 
the  best  way  of  getting  at  me.  But  to  my  inexpressi 
ble  relief,  after  thus  remaining  fully  five  minutes,  they 
turned  and  rode  off.  Hardly  were  they  out  of  sight, 
when  another  troop  passed  me  even  closer,  and  a  third 
time  was  I  put  to  torturing  suspense,  with  a  similar 
result.  It  is  quite  impossible  that  they  should  not 
have  seen  me,  and  the  only  explanation  that  now  or 
then  occurred  to  me  of  their  leaving  me  unmolested,  is, 
that  they  probably  thought  me  dead  or  dying,  and  that 
they  were  afraid  to  approach  closely,  for  fear  of  ex 
posing  themselves  to  the  danger  of  being  fired  at  by 
my  followers  on  the  mountain,  who  by  this  time  were 
occupying  the  very  fortifications  originally  held  by 
the  enemy. 

The  battle  had  now  raged  for  several  hours,  and  I 
watched  with  intense  anxiety  for  the  final  issue  ;  for 
though  it  was  evident  that  the  Damaras,  and  our  allies, 
the  Rehobothians,  had  to  a  certain  extent  gained  the 
day,  the  enemy  was  still  far  from  conquered,  and  was 


MOMENTS   OF  AGONY.  103 

hanging,  as  it  were,  in  dense  masses  on  the  brow 
of  the  hill  to  the  left  of  me,  and  close  to  the  ravine 
alluded  to  ;  and  I  saw  clearly  that,  unless  attacked  from 
above  and  in  flank,  they  might  succeed  in  holding  their 
ground,  and  possibly  turn  the  tables  against  us.  If 
Green,  poor  fellow,  was  but  alive  and  unhurt,  though 
the  chance  was  but  small,  I  reasoned  all  might  yet  be 
well,  for  he  could  not  help  seeing  the  necessity  of  such 
a  step,  only  I  was  afraid  that  the  Damaras,  if  once  in 
possession  of  the  booty,  would  not  support  him  suffi 
ciently. 

What  with  loss  of  blood,  my  cramped  position,  and 
a  scorching  sun  overhead,  I  was  getting  rapidly  ex 
hausted,  and  more  than  once  I  thought  I  must,  faint  ; 
upward  of  six  hours  having  elapsed  since  I  was  first 
laid  prostrate.  A  drink  of  water  would  have  been  of 
priceless  value  to  me,  but  only  once;  from  the  time  I 
was  struck  down  to  near  the  close  of  this  day's  trying 
scenes,  a  human  being  came  sufficiently  within  sight  and 
hearing  to  enable  me  make  my  wants  and  situation 
known.  And  when  at  least  half-a-dozen  Damaras  did 
appear,  no  entreaties  or  command  would  make  them 
stay  for  one  single  moment,  or  render  me  the  slightest 
help.  The  cowards  !  though  more  than  equal  in  num 
bers,  they  were  flying  like  timid  deer  before  one  of  the 
party  of  horsemen  above  alluded  to,  and  thus  I  was 
mercilessly  abandoned  to  my  fate  by  friend  and  foe. 
Truly  my  situation  was  a  painful  one,  and  few  would 
have  blamed  me,  perhaps,  had  I  given  way  to  despair. 
Thank  God !  I  did  not.  And  ere  long  such  a  decided 
change  took  place  in  our  prospects,  that  all  apprehen 
sion  of  further  immediate  danger  was  past. 


104  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

A  slight  curl  of  smoke  was  now  seen  issuing,  near 
the  summit  of  the  mountain,  from  one  of  the  ravines 
overlooking  the  enemy,  and  the  next  moment  there 
was  an  explosion,  rapidly  followed  by  others.  I  well 
knew  that  none  but  friends  could  be  there,  and  so  well 
had  I  calculated  the  result  of  such  a  manoeuvre  that  on 
the  very  first  discharge  I  unhesitatingly  gave  vent  to 
my  pent-up  feelings  in  the  exclamation,  "Thank  God  ! 
the  victory  is  at  last  complete  !  complete !  "  And  so 
it  proved  ;  for  in  a  few  moments  the  enemy  were  heard 
to  call  out,  "  We  are  getting  surrounded  !  "  And  the 
cry  among  them  then  was  something  equivalent  to 
"  The  devil  take  the  hindmost!"  In  short,  they 
rushed  helter-skelter  down  the  steep  sides  of  their  late 
stronghold,  and  in  five  minutes  more  were  seen  dispers 
ing  wildly  over  the  open  country. 

It  was  now  in  the  power  of  the  Damaras  to  have 
annihilated  the  enemy  almost  to  a  man  ;  for  had  an 
assegai  charge  been  made  by  them  at  the  moment  the 
Namaquas  took  to  the  flat,  the  matter  would  have  been 
settled  forever.  But  to  my  utter  disgust,  not  a  soul 
bestirred  himself  to  intercept  their  flight,  and  they  were 
allowed  to  depart  peaceably  !  But  so  it  is  invariably 
in  all  savage  warfare.  Honor,  safety,  and  all  that  a 
European  would  hold  dear  on  such  an  occasion,  is  at 
once  sacrificed  for  plunder  and  rapine,  accompanied  by 
the  wildest  exultation  and  disorder. 

A  few  moments  more  and  I  was  surrounded  by  all 
my  friends,  not  one  familiar  face  being  missed,  and  my 
heart  was  moved  with  deep  gratitude  to  the  Almighty 
for  the  mercies  vouchsafed  to  us  during  this  trying  day, 
and  I  confess  it,  I  wept  like  a  child.  But  seeing  the 


RETREAT   OF   THE   ENEMY.  105 

mournful  looks  of  my  sorrowing  companions,  I  dashed 
the  tears  from  my  eyes,  and  smiling  brightly  on  them, 
remarked :  "  Oh,  never  mind  me  ;  I  dare  say  I  shall 
soon  be  all  right ; "  hovV  my  lips  belied  my  heart ! 
"  Now,  like  good  fellows,  get  me  some  conveyance,  and 
have  me  removed  to  a  place  of  safety,  where  I  can  rest, 
for  I  am  welt-nigh  exhausted."  * 

*  I  can  quite  imagine  that  the  military  reader,  especially  if  he  him 
self  has  taken  part  in  blood  and  carnage,  will  smile  at  Andersson's 
description  of  this  fight,  as  well  as  at  the  minute  details  he  has  given  us 
of  his  feelings  and  sufferings  when  prostrated  by  a  very  severe  wound,  and 
for  a  time,  as  it  would  seem,  serving  as  a  target  for  the  enemy  ;  but  to 
myself  these  details  are  highly  interesting,  as  they  may  also  be  to  others, 
for  though  every  poor  fellow  that  is  laid  low  on  the  battle-field  must  in  a 
lesser  or  greater  degree  experience  the  same  sensations,  yet  I  do  not 
remember  any  one  having  recorded  them. — ED. 

5* 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


After  the  battle. — Immense  capture  of  sheep  and  cattle — Folly  and  inca 
pacity  of  the  Damaras — The  Rehobothians — Rev.  Mr.  Kleinschmidt 
— Arrival  at  Barmen  missionary  station — Rev.  Mr.  Hahn — Suffer 
ings  from  my  wound — Rev.  Mr.  Kleinschmidt's  change  of  station — 
The  Rehobothians  attacked  by  the  Namaquas — Sufferings  of  the 
unfortunate  tribe. 


AS  may  be  well  imagined,  sleep  did  not  much  court 
my  pillow  during  the  night  that  followed  on  the 
sanguinary  scene  related  in  the  last  chapter.  Sleep, 
indeed,  would  have  been  out  of  the  question ;  for  even 
had  my  wound  been  less  severe  than  it  was — cause 
enough  to  keep  me  awake — I  should  have  got  no  rest, 
for  the  Damaras  kept  up  the  wildest  revelry  through 
out  this  trying  night,  quarrelling  and  shouting  vocifer 
ously,  and  expressing  their  exultation  by  frequent  dis 
charges  of  musketry.  My  couch  had  been  spread  at 
the  very  foot  of  the  rock  that  had  witnessed  so  much 
strife,  while  my  followers  were  camping  or  nestling  on 
its  sides  wherever  a  sufficiently  clear  spot  afforded  them 
room  to  crouch  down,  offering  at  once  one  of  the  wild 
est  and  most  picturesque  scenes  that  I  have  witnessed. 
The  flashes  of  several  hundred  guns,  as  they  struck 
upon  my  upward  gaze,  blinded  me  by  their  nearness 
and  vividness,  while  the  frightful  yells  that  accompa 
nied  every  fresh  discharge  tended  to  appal.  Indeed  the 
scene  bordered  on  the  awfully  sublime. 


AN   OPPORTUNITY   LOST. 


107 


The  total  quantity  of  booty  that  fell  into  our  hands 
must  have  been  very  great  indeed,  but  no  one  ever 
knew  its  extent;  for  my  friend  Green,  on  whom  the 
command  now  naturally  devolved,  refused  to  stir  from 
my  bedside  oftener  or  longer  than  was  absolutely  neces 
sary,  and  consequently  the  Damaras  had  it  all  their 
own  way.  Thus  there  was  not  only  a  terrible  waste, 
but  large  droves  of  cattle  and  sheep  were  driven  off 
clandestinely.  When,  after  a  day  or  two,  we  were  able 
to  take  an  account  of  our  gains,  we  found  they  con 
sisted  of  upward  of  three  thousand  sheep  and  goats, 
and  of  about  half  that  number  of  cattle.  Fully  the 
same  number  of  the  former  had  been  slaughtered  dur 
ing  the  night  following  on  the  battle,  besides  abundance 
of  fat  oxen,  while  quite  as  many  were,  concealed.  I 
estimated,  therefore,  that  the  original  number  could 
not  have  fallen  much  short  of  ten  thousand  sheep  and 
goats,  and  three  thousand  large  horned  cattle.  Indeed, 
the  enemy  had  apparently  considered  their  mountain 
fastness  so  secure  as  to  deem  it  unnecessary  to  drive 
off  their  live  stock.  About  forty  horses  were  also  cap 
tured,  a  good  deal  of  ammunition,  some  guns,  etc. 
Finally^  we  destroyed  seven  or  eight  wagons,  only 
retaining  one,  which  I  presented  to  our  trusty  allies, 
the  Rehobothians,  who  had  done  good  service  to  us  on 
the  day  of  the  fight. 

The  actual  number  of  men  killed  on  this  occasion 
was,  I  believe,  quite  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  amount 
of  firing,  but  this  may  easily  be  accounted  for  when  the 
terribly  rocky  nature  of  the  disputed  ground  is  taken 
into  due  consideration.  The  dead  and  wounded,  on 
both  sides,  probably  did  not  exceed  one  hundred,  and 


108  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

perhaps  out  of  this  number  the  better  half  fell  to  our 
share,  being  the  attacking  party,  and  consequently 
much  more  exposed.  Only  one  Damara,  of  any  note, 
however,  was  counted  among  the  dead,  and  even  he,  it 
was  affirmed,  had  been  treacherously  dealt  with  by 
some  relation  who  coveted  his  substance  and  position. 
It  is  quite  possible  that  there  had  been  foul  play. 
Some  women,  I  regret  to  say,  were  killed  in  the  general 
metic,  but  as  they  were  mixed  up  with  the  combatants 
during  much  of  the  time  that  the  fighting  was  going 
on,  the  result  could  hardly  have  been  otherwise.  A 
larger  number  were  captured,  and  I  need  hardly  add 
they  were  kindly  treated,  and  ultimately  restored  to 
liberty. 

There  being  an  insufficiency  of  water  on  the  moun 
tain,  we  moved  our  camp  on  the  ensuing  morning  a  short 
distance.  The  object  of  the  present  expedition  was  not 
only  to  try  to  recover  my  lost  property,  but  to  crush 
Jonker,  or  at  least  to  punish  him  so  severely  as  to  ren 
der  him  unable,  for  the  future,  to  persevere  in  his  in 
iquitous  proceedings.  But,  alas  !  we  had  allowed  the 
golden  opportunity  to  slip  out  of  our  hands.  It  is  true 
we  had  inflicted  on  him  a  most  severe  lesson  by  the 
various  losses  recorded  ;  but  his  allies — for  he  had  called 
several  tribes  to  his  assistance — had  suffered  little  or 
nothing.  Pursuit  was  not  yet  altogether  hopeless  or 
useless,  if  only  vigorously  conducted,  for  it  was  evident 
that  a  general  panic  had  seized  the  enemy,  as  was  shown 
in  various  ways,  their  cattle  being  allowed  to  roam 
about  unheeded  and  unherded,  their  wagons  being 
abandoned,  their  huts  half-finished,  etc.,  etc.  But  there 
was  no  longer  any  one  to  lead  the  Damaras,  etc. ;  Mr. 


FOLLY   OF  THE   DAMARAS.  IOQ 

Green,  as  I  have  said,  absolutely  refusing  to  leave  me, 
even  for  a  day  ;  and  I  told  them  plainly  that  they  were 
utterly  unfit  to  execute  any  plan  by  themselves. 
Nevertheless,  at  their  urgent  solicitations,  I  delayed 
our  homeward  march  a  week,  at  the  end  of  which  time, 
as  I  had  predicted,  they  had  accomplished  nothing. 
Indeed,  we  had,  on  the  whole,  been  losers  by  the  delay, 
for  though  cattle  were  captured  daily,  a  far  larger  num 
ber  of  our  own  were  nightly  carried  off,  and  though 
every  imaginable  precaution  was  taken  to  guard  the 
stock,  thefts  continued  unabated.  I  made  the  chiefs 
responsible,  but  it  was  of  no  avail.  Indeed  it  was  per 
fectly  ridiculous  the  way  the  natives  managed  when 
left  to  their  own  resources  ;  tneir  incapacity  was  equalled 
only  by  their  timidity.  An  instance  in  point  will  suffice 
to  prove  their  pusillanimity.  One  evening  it  was 
reported  to  me  that  a  large  wagon-camp  had  been 
espied  ;  that  the  white  tent  coverings  of  the  vehicles 
could  be  distinctly  perceived,  as  well  as  the  cattle  and 
people,  but  they  were  not  strong  enough  to  make  the 
attack  on  the  supposed  enemy,  but  had  retired  to  get 
the  necessary  reinforcements,  and  that  to-morrow  they 
would  show  me  what  they  could  do.  Well,  they  went, 
remained  away  two  days,  returning  at  the  end  of  that 
time,  with  the  information  that  the  wagons  they  had 
seen  were  nothing  more  than  white  stones !  Utterly 
disgusted  with  such  folly,  and  seeing  clearly  that  noth 
ing  could  be  done,  I  broke  up  the  camp. 

The  Damaras,  after  this,  wrere  naturally  desirous  of 
returning  straight  home,  not  caring  much  what  became 
of  their  allies,  the  Rehobothians;  and  could  I  myself 
have  consulted  only  my  own  comfort  and  safety,  I  would 


HO  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

gladly  have  acceded  to  their  wishes.  But  our  Namaqua 
friends  had  now  made  themselves  so  obnoxious  to  their 
countrymen,  that  I  felt  sure  the  enemy  would  embrace 
the  first  opportunity  to  wreak  their  whole  vengeance 
on  the  poor  fellows,  and  I  could  not  therefore,  conscien 
tiously — be  my  own  fate  whatever  it  might — consent  to 
a  step  at  once  so  thoughtless  and  so  unjust.  On  the 
contrary,  I  determined  to  give  them  the  benefit  of  our 
escort  to  or  near  Rehoboth,  and  when  the  time  came 
for  parting,  to  detach  a  party  of  trusty  Damaras,  who 
would  help  to  defend  them  in  case  of  an  attack.  It 
was  further  agreed  between  us,  that  the  Rehobothians 
should  at  once  set  about  removing  themselves  and  their 
effects  to  the  neighborhood  of  Otjimbingue,  their  own 
station  being  deemed  no  longer  tenable  or  secure  if  they 
were  left  to  their  own  resources. 

By  this  time  my  wound  began  to  open,  and  to  ex 
hibit  something  of  its  true  nature.  Indeed,  though 
there  was  originally  but  one  orifice,  all  at  once  the  flesh 
began  to  give  way  in  several  places,  making  nearly  the 
whole  surface  of  the  front  of  the  leg — even  considerably 
beyond  the  knee — present  the  appearance  of  one  entire 
ulceration.  I  began  to  feel  my  case  somewhat  desper 
ate,  and  not  knowing  but  that  I  might  be  called  to  my 
last  account  at  any  moment,  I  thought  it  prudent  to 
request  my  friend,  the  Rev.  H.  Kleinschmidt,  to  visit 
me  without  loss  of  time.  He  came  with  all  prompt 
ness  ;  and  not  the  most  loving  son  could  have  hailed 
his  father's  presence  with  a  more  affectionate  regard  than 
I  did  that  of  my  reverend  friend.  We  had  always  been 
intimate,  but,  what  with  my  present  precarious  state, 
and  his  people's  critical  situation,  our  present  meeting 


ARRIVAL  AT  BARMEN.  Ill 

was  unusually  cordial.  We  embraced  each  other 
warmly.  The  late  Mr.  Kleinschmidt  was  one  of  those 
true  and  unaffected  Christians  whom  to  see  is  to  love 
and  cherish,  and  who,  in  his  simplicity  and  earnestness, 
must  have  presented  a  fair  specimen  of  what  the  first 
Christian  fathers  must  have  been — the  immediate  fol 
lowers  of  a  Peter  and  a  Paul.  He  was  still  a  hearty, 
sound  old  man,  who  might,  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
nature,  have  many  years  to  run  here  on  earth,  while  my 
days  seemed  confined  to  the  shortest  span.  But,  alas  ! 
for  our  own  shortsightedness,  it  was  destined,  in  the 
inscrutable  designs  of  God,  that  the  good  old  man  was 
to  be  called  hence  shortly,  while  I,  useless  and  a  cripple, 
was  to  live  on  and  to  mourn  his  untimely  death,  my 
own  fate  yet  undecided  !  But  I  must  not  anticipate 
events.  May  it  please  the  Almighty  to  comfort  his 
kind-hearted,  sorrow-stricken  widow,  herself  a  daughter 
of  one  of  the  most  estimable  of  missionaries. 

When  at  last  Mr.  Kleinschmidt  proceeded  to  inspect 
my  wound,  and  became  fully  aware  of  the  awful  extent 
of  my  miseries,  he  shook  his  head  sadly  and  doubt- 
ingly,  remarking:  "  That  leg  ought  to  be  taken  off,  or 
you  will  die."  But  my  friend  did  not  offer  to  perform 
the  operation — probably  he  did  not  feel  equal  to  the 
task — and  I  was  left  to  my  fate.  Shortly  after  this  we 
parted,  alas  !  never  to  meet  again  alive  ;  though,  as 
will  be  presently  seen,  we  once  crossed  each  other's 
path. 

After  many  days  of  weary  and  painful  travel,  I  was 
carried  on  a  stretcher  on  men's  shoulders,  amid  the 
most  intense  sufferings,  at  the  mere  remembrance  of 
which  I  even  now  shudder,  and  arrived  in  safety  at 


112  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

Barmen,  the  most  northerly  missionary  station  in  Da- 
maraland,  but  in  so  exhausted  a  state  that,  had  the 
journey  lasted  but  another  day,  I  must  inevitably  have 
perished.  As  it  was,  every  one  looked  upon  me  as 
a  dead  man.  An  express  had  been  early  despatched  to 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Hahn  to  request  his  immediate  presence 
for  the  purpose  of  administering  to  me  the  sacrament, 
and  other  rites  usual  on  the  approaching  dissolution  of 
a  man,  as  also  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  my  final  in 
structions  about  my  worldly  affairs.  Like  Mr.  Klein- 
schmidt,  my  friend  responded  most  promptly  to  my  call, 
and  the  day  after  our  arrival,  I  had  the  satisfaction  of 
greeting  him,  besides  other  friendly  faces  ;  among  the 
rest  that  of  Mr.  Baines,  who  henceforth  (like  Green) 
scarcely  ever  left  my  bedside.  But,  indeed,  all  friends 
and  servants  alike  vied  with  each  other  in  attending  to 
my  wants,  and  in  trying  to  forestall  my  slighest  wishes. 
And  I  must  not  here  omit  to  notice  the  affectionate 
solicitude,  anxiety,  and  care  evinced  for  me  by  the  Rev. 
H.  Brinker  and  his  kind-hearted  wife.  May  God 
Almighty  reward  all  those  who  thus  watched  by  me, 
and  who  tried  in  every  way  to  soothe  and  alleviate  my 
truly  dreadful  sufferings !  May  they  be  spared  so  sad 
a  fate  as  mine,  but  if  unfortunately  ill  should  at  any 
time  befall  them,  I  devoutly  hope  and  trust  that  they 
may  have  the  same  advantages  as  I  myself  in  this  hour 
of  need.  Only  those  who  have  been  placed  in  similar 
positions  can  fully  appreciate  the  priceless  boon  of 
friendly  faces  and  sympathizing  friends.  After  my  ex 
perience,  I  could  well  realize  the  affection  and  devotion 
gained  by  the  good  and  amiable  Miss  Nightingale 


DISTRESSING  NEWS.  113 

among  the  soldiers  and  others  in  the  hospitals  at  Scu 
tari  during  the  Crimean  war. 

But  I  am  not  going  to  impose  upon  my  reader's 
patience  any  longer  by  a  recital  of  all  that  I  suffered  at 
this  period.  Let  it  suffice  to  say,  that  for  several  weeks, 
nay,  almost  months,  my  fate  remained  doubtful,  pain  of 
the  severest  kind  never  leaving  me  for  a  single  moment. 
Nay,  there  were  moments  when  no  human  being  had 
courage  enough  to  witness  my  agonies,  and  to  hear  my 
heart-rending  cries.  It  seemed  impossible  for  the  human 
frame  to  sustain  so  much  misery.  God  Almighty! 
Thou  wast  pleased  to  try  me  severely,  but  in  Thy  great 
mercy  Thou  didst  vouchsafe  me  also  invariably  strength 
and  fortitude  to  bear  with  patience  and  humility  Thy 
dread  inflictions,  and  my  almost  more  than  human 
agonies.  May  I  never  forget  Thy  great  mercy. 

During  all  this  time  we  had  been  startled  more  than 
once  by  false  reports,  that  the  Philistines  were  upon  us, 
and  at  last  one  day,  when  there  seemed  to  be  sufficient 
reason  for  believing  the  rumors  to  be  true,  Mr.  Green 
became  urgent  for  our  immediate  removal  to  Otjim- 
bingue,  deeming  Barmen  unsafe.,  as  he  considered  it 
untenable  in  the  event  of  an  attack  by  the  Namaquas, 
the  greater  portion  of  the  Damaras  having  now  returned 
to  their  homes.  I  dreaded  a  removal  at  this  critical 
juncture,  and  hardly  thought  it  fair  to  leave  our  kind 
host  without  any  protection.  But  the  latter  objection 
my  friend  met  by  assuring  me  that  he  would  be  in  no 
danger,  inasmuch  as  having  only  recently  arrived  in  the 
country,  he  had  never  had  anything  to  do  with  the 
present  war,  adding,  "  The  consequences  be  on  your 
head  if  ill  comes  to  us  after  the  timely  warning 


114  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

afforded."  This  argument,  though  it  did  not  quite 
satisfy  me,  settled  the  point,  and  another  day  saw  us 
en  route  to  Otjimbingue,  my  resting  place  at  least  for  a 
time,  which  we  reached  in  safety. 

Here  the  most  distressing  news  awaited  us.  On 
parting  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kleinschmidt,  I  had  urged 
upon  him  and  his  people  the  necessity  of  an  immediate 
retreat  from  his  station,  as  there  could  not  be  the  slight 
est  doubt  that  our  enemies  would  soon  rally  and  attack 
them.  My  friend,  well  knowing  himself  the  precarious- 
ness  of  their  situation,  hardly  needed  my  solicitations, 
and  did  what  he  could  to  hurry  their  departure.  But 
in  moving  thus  a  whole  tribe,  much  time  was  necessarily 
required,  and  the  natural  indolence  and  dilatoriness 
of  the  Namaquas  increased  the  delay.  Unfortunately, 
after  a  few  days'  journeying,  the  "  trek  "  got  irretrieva 
bly  entangled  in  mountains  of  the  most  formidable  and 
harassing  nature,  without  a  vestige  of  a  road,  and  diffi 
cult  for  a  man  to  traverse,  even  on  foot.  Their  con 
veyances,  at  the  best  but  sorry  concerns,  broke  down 
repeatedly.  By  keeping  the  regular  wagon-track,  all 
these  misfortunes  would  have  been  avoided  ;  and  there 
is  every  probability  that  they  would  have  been  spared 
much,  if  not  all,  the  terrible  calamities  that  shortly  after 
befell  them,  as  they  might  then  have  reached  Otjim 
bingue  in  safety  before  the  enemy  could  have  overtaken 
them.  Their  excuse  for  choosing  so  apparently  imprac 
ticable  a  path  was,  that  they  were  afraid  that  their  cat 
tle — hitherto  in  a  great  measure  spared — might  be 
infected  by  lung-sickness.  But  it  would  have  been  far 
more  prudent  to  have  risked  that  danger  rather  than 
their  own  lives. 


REV.    MR.    KLEINSCHMIDT.  115 

While  in  this  dilemma,  that  is  without  a  road,  with 
an  insufficient  supply  of  water,  broken-down  wagons, 
and  a  variety  of  other  mischances  sufficient  to  make  a 
speedy  progress  impossible,  they  were  overtaken  by  the 
enemy  and  all  but  surprised.  Fortunately,  a  little  boy, 
in  herding  some  calves,  had  perceived  their  approach, 
and  gave  the  alarm  forthwith.  There  was  but  little 
time  afforded  them  for  making  any  preparations  for 
defence,  still  they  were  not  taken  altogether  unawares. 
Indeed,  at  the  first  onset  they  managed  to  turn  the 
tables  against  their  adversaries,  having  had  time  to  place 
an  ambush  into  which  they  fell  unsuspiciously.  Fifteen 
men  were  counted  dead  in  one  spot  on  the  very  first 
discharge,  the  consequence  of  which  was  a  total  rout 
of  the  advanced  party.  But  being  very  numerous,  and 
the  fugitives  being  rallied  by  Jan  Jonker,  they  soon 
renewed  the  attack,  and  though  the  Rehobothians  once 
more  successfully  beat  off  their  assailants,  it  was  thought 
advisable  to  abandon  their  camp  during  the  ensuing 
night,  and  take  up  a  fresh  position  more  favorable  for 
defence.  In  the  meantime,  instant  flight  had  been 
urged  upon  poor  Kleinschmidt,  and  though  most  loath 
to  leave  his  people,  he  saw  he  could  do  no  good  by 
remaining,  and  in  justice  to  himself  and  family  he  set 
off,  but,  unfortunately,  utterly  unprovided  with  even 
the  merest  necessaries.  They  left,  indeed,  with  only 
one  loaf  of  bread  between  a  family  of  seven  or  eight. 
Moreover,  they  were  half  naked,  their  greatest  hardship, 
perhaps,  being  the  want  of  boots  and  shoes.  In  this 
forlorn  and  wretched  condition,  they  traversed  a  fright 
fully  hilly  and  inhospitable  country  for  several  consecu 
tive  days,  exposed  to  a  broiling  sun  during  the  day  and 


Il6  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

a  biting  cold  at  night.  After  nearly  a  week  of  incessant 
marching  up  one  mountain  and  down  another,  till  their 
eyelids  grew  dim  by  very  weariness,  their  feet  lacerated 
and  bleeding,  almost  -maddened  by  hunger  and  thirst, 
scorched  by  day  and  frozen  by  night,  they  reached  the 
neighborhood  of  Otjimbingue  more  dead  than  alive. 
Indeed,  poor  Mr.  Kleinschmidt  was  so  exhausted  as  to 
be  unable  to  walk  the  last  stage,  and  he  was  placed  in 
wagon  which  was  sent  for  him.  When  he  at  last 
arrived,  he  was  compelled  at  once  to  take  to  his  bed, 
whence,  alas  !  he  never  rose.  He  had  only  been  a  few 
days  in  the  place  when  I  arrived,  and  had  I  for  a  mo 
ment  believed  that  there  was  any  immediate  danger,  I 
would  most  assuredly,  weak  and  suffering  as  I  was, 
have  caused  myself  to  be  taken  to  my  friend's  bedside. 
As  it  was,  I  just  stopped  long  enough  in  passing  at  a 
short  distance  from  the  house,  to  shake  hands  with  his 
wife  and  family  and  other  kind  friends  and  acquaint 
ances,  who  thronged  around  my  couch  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  my  emaciated  face  and  form. 

But  to  return  to  the  Rehobothians.  It  would 
appear  that:  the  men  and  children  had  taken  refuge  in 
the  sandy  bank  of  a  river  near  the  camp,  covered 
thickly  with  a  species  of  long,  wiry  grass,  which  the 
blood-minded  enemy  set  fire  to,  by  which  means,  num 
bers  of  the  unfortunate  creatures  were  destroyed,  and 
others  seriously  injured.  Finding  themselves,  on  the 
following  day,  in  possession  of  the  hastily  abandoned 
camp,  and  moreover,  having  succeeded  in  capturing 
considerable  numbers  of  cattle  and  sheep,  the  Hotten 
tots  rested  content  with  their  success.  But,  at  the 
same  time,  it  was  thought  more  than  probable  that  they 


THE   REIIOBOTHIANS.  1 1/ 

would  return  as  soon  as  they  had  secured  the  booty, 
and  the  poor  Rehobothians  were  unfortunately  utterly 
unfit  to  cope  with  their  adversaries  in  their  present 
crippled  condition.  Petrus  Zwartbooi,  the  eldest  son 
but  one  of  the  chief,  came  to  Otjimbingue  shortly  after 
the  catastrophe  just  narrated,  to  request  assistance.  As 
regards  myself  and  Mr.  Green  we  could  do  nothing, 
but  the  Damaras  sent  a  large  party,  and  by  these  means, 
after  much  misery,  the  half-ruined  tribe  found  them 
selves  ultimately  in  safety  in  our  neighborhood,  where 
we  must  leave  them  for  the  present. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Severity  of  my  wound — Arrival  of  my  wife — Long  and  painful  illness  at 
Otjimbingue — Study  of  ornithology — Relations  with  Baines — Dis 
covery  of  a  new  species  of  falcon— Description  of  Andersson's  perm— 

Machoerhampus   Alcinus Other   specimens— Difference   of    two 

species. 

O  EVER AL  months  had  now  elapsed,  and  by  this  time 
^  the  danger  to  my  life  was  probably  past,  though  my 
sufferings  had  been  diminished  but  little.  It  had  been 
long  ascertained  that  both  the  bones  of  the  leg  had  been 
utterly  smashed,  though  to  an  unequal  extent.  A  great 
number  of  pieces  and  splinters — ultimately  reaching  the 
astonishing  number  of  seventy— had  from  time  to  time 
been  extracted,  some  being  of  considerable  magnitude. 
This  fact  will  at  once  show  the  reader  what  a  desperate 
wound  it  must  have  been,  and  every  one  that  witnessed 
it,  took  it  for  granted  that  it  would  be  impossible  for 
me  ever  to  walk,  or  even  to  stand  again  on  the  limb. 
Three  to  three  and  a-half  inches  of  the  large  bone  had, 
in  fact,  come  completely  away,  and  what  was  to  fill  up 
this  immense  vacuum  ?  It  was  quite  clear  that  no  bone 
would  ever  grow  there,  since  the  two  extremities  were 
entirely  unconnected.  But  Nature,  when  left  to  her 
self,  often  works  out  cures  which  we  little  expect  or 
understand.  And  this  was  strikingly  exemplified  in 
my  own  case.  Thus  one  day  when  examining  the 
wound,  I  was  surprised  to  find  that  the  two  ends  were 


MY   WOUND.  119 

perceptibly  nearer  each  other  than  before,  and  hence 
forth  a  steady  forward  movement  was  distinctly  visible. 
My  delight  at  this  discovery  was  at  first  very  great,  for, 
in  my  ignorance,  I  conjectured  that  some  connecting 
link  had  been  left  between  the  stumps,  and  that  fresh 
bone  was  thus  thrown  out  from  the  remnant.  But 
I  was  wrong,  for  in  proportion  as  the  distance  between 
the  broken  bones  became  less,  in  the  same  proportion 
the  leg  itself  became  shorter.  In  fact,  it  was  contract 
ing  or  shrinking  together. 

Hitherto  the  leg  had  been  carefully  supported  by 
splints,  but  the  moment  the  shattered  extremities  met, 
from  some  unaccountable  cause,  I  could  not  bear  the 
pressure  any  longer.  But  knowing  the  great  importance 
of  keeping  the  leg  straight  at  this  critical  period,  the  more 
so  as  it  became  apparent  that  the  small  bone  at  the 
back  of  the  leg  had  not  been  disturbed  to  the  same 
extent,  and  consequently  was  pushing  the  leg,  as  it 
were,  forward  and  inward,  I  made  several  determined 
efforts  to  retain  the  supports,  but  each  time  signally 
failed  ;  for  inflammation  of  the  severest  kind  set  in 
upon  every  fresh  attempt,  causing  me  the  most  violent 
pain,  which  neither  ether  nor  chloroform  was  able  for 
a  moment  to  assuage. 

Just  as  affairs  had  taken  this  turn,  my  brave  and 
loving  wife  joined  me.  Oh,  how  my  heart  had  yearned 
for  this  meeting — at  one  time  so  little  expected  or 
hoped  for.  For  months  I  had  expected  her,  but  it 
appeared  that  the  several  letters  which  I  had  caused  to 
be  dictated  and  forwarded  to  her  at  different  times  had 
never  reached  her,  until  all  at  once,  shortly  before  her 
arrival,  when  she  lost  no  time  in  speeding  to  my  sick- 


120  NOTES    OF   TRAVEL. 

couch.  I  was  very  thankful  that  she  had  been  thus 
spared  all  the  misery  arid  suspense  that  must  naturally 
have  been  her  lot  had  my  first  letter  found  its  way  as 
it  was  expected  and  intended.  As  it  was,  she  received 
at  one  and  the  same  time  the  distressing  news  of  my 
being  desperately  wounded,  and  the  more  cheering  in 
telligence  of  an  improvement  of  my  health.  It  is  true, 
rumors  had  reached  Cape  Town  of  the  fatal  engage 
ment,  by  the  overland  route,  but  as  such  reports  are  so 
often  false,  or,  at  the  best,  exaggerated,  my  wife's  rela 
tives  and  friends  managed  to  keep  the  melancholy  tid 
ings  from  her.  And  truly  grateful  I  felt  to  the  Almighty 
for  the  inestimable  blessing  bestowed  upon  me  in  per 
mitting  me  once  more  to  embrace  her  and  the  children. 
For  nine  months  I  never  moved  out  of  a  horizontal 
position,  and  it  may  therefore  be  readily  conceived  that 
I  suffered  no  small  inconvenience  from  such  a  prolonged 
uniform  posture  ;  nay,  it  was  accompanied  by  real  pain, 
for  at  one  time  my  back  was  full  of  ugly  bed  $ores,  which 
I  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  getting  rid  of.  Add  to 
this,  that  the  lower  half  of  my  body  was  always  more 
or  less  immersed  in  the  water  constantly  applied  to  my 
hurts,  and  which,  in  consequence  of  my  horizontal  po 
sition  would  often  find  its  way  up  to  my  very  neck,  a 
circumstance  both  trying  and  uncomfortable.  But  bad 
as  this  was,  it  was  as  nothing  compared  with  the  an 
noyance  and  pain  I  suffered  from  the  presence  of  mag 
gots,  which,  strange  to  relate,  notwithstanding  the 
utmost  care,  were  produced  in  the  wounds  in  myriads, 
even  in  the  short  space  of  twenty-four  hours,  and  fre 
quently  of  an  enormous  size.  A  most  disgusting  sight 
presented  itself  as  the  bandages  and  splints  were 


SUFFERINGS   FROM    MAGGOTS.  121 

removed  at  every  fresh  dressing  ;  and  the  sensation 
created  by  these  monsters  as  they  wriggled  their  way 
between  the  flesh  and  the  bandages  was  indescribable, 
and  at  times  quite  maddening.  The  very  best  proof 
of  the  agonies  caused  by  these  worms  was  found  in  the 
fact  that  the  wounded  natives,  who  also  suffered  from 
them,  found  it  impossible  to  endure  the  sensation, 
though  otherwise  so  patient  of  suffering,  and  apparently 
indifferent  to  the  most  acute  pain.  They  might  be  seen 
frantically  trying  to  tear  off  the  bandages  from  their 
wounds  as  soon  as  the  maggots  began  their  erratic  wan 
derings.  It  may  interest  the  reader  to  know  that  noth 
ing  but  cold  applications  were  ever  used  for  my  wounds, 
with  an  occasional  drop  of  arnica,  but  even  this  was 
found  of  too  quickly  healing  a  property  to  be  long 
continued. 

On  the  tenth  month  I  made  the  first  attempt  to 
change  my  confined  and  painful  position,  by  trying  to 
turn  a  little  on  my  right  side.  I  was  now  also  lifted 
out  of  bed  for  the  first  time  on  to  a  sofa  ;  but  it  was 
long  before  I  gained  strength  enough  to  support  my 
novel  position  for  more  than  five  minutes  together. 

During  my  long  and  painful  illness  at  Otjimbingue, 
I,  at  an  early  period,  had  recourse  to  my  favorite  pur 
suit,  viz.,  the  study  of  the  feathered  tribes,  etc.,  of 
Damaraland,  and  by  this  means  I  often  succeeded  in 
beguiling  many  a  weary  hour,  as  well  as  in  diverting 
and  soothing  the  anguish  of  mind  and  body.  I  em 
ployed  several  native  lads,  besides  my  European  ser 
vant,  to  collect  specimens.  Baines  now  also  entered 
on  his  appointed  task  of  depicting  the  birds.  My  first 
step  was  to  measure  them  accurately  as  they  were  ob- 
6 


122  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

tained,  and  to  note  down"  carefully  the  color  of  those 
parts  likely  to  fade  ;  my  next  was  to  hand  the  speci 
mens  to  my  friend,  to  be  presented  life-like  by -his  quick 
and  talented  pencil.  I  will  not  deny,  however,  that  we 
had  our  little  hitches  at  the  first  outset  ;  for  Baines 
could  hardly  understand  why  I  should  lay  so  much 
stress  upon  details  as  I  did.  But  my  argument  was 
this.  I  propose  at  some  future  day,  if  spared,  to  publish 
a  work  on  the  natural  history  of  this  and  the  neighbor 
ing  countries,  and  which  I  intend  to  try  to  make  really 
useful  and  reliable  ;  besides,  it  will  be  an  expensive 
work,  and  the  public  is  entitled  to  fair  value  for  their 
money.  Now  I  cannot  myself  draw  or  paint  a  bird  if 
my  life  depended  on  it,  but  I  am  always  more  or  less 
able  to  tell  at  a  glance  whether  the  position,  markings, 
etc.,  are  correctly  executed.  However,  by  the  time  my 
friend  has  depicted  half-a-dozen  birds  or  so,  we  under 
stand  each  other  perfectly,  and  I  am  in  duty  bound  to 
say  that  he  never  refused  to  make  the  necessary  altera 
tions  when  he  found  that  my  remarks  were  just  and  to 
the  purpose. 

But  after  having  been  thus  successfully  employed 
for  a  considerable  period,  it  became  evident  that  how 
ever  much  my  friend  was  anxious  to  serve  me  by  his 
pencil,  and  otherwise  by  his  presence  to  be  useful  to 
me,  he  earnestly  longed  to  return  to  Europe,  chiefly,  I 
believe,  with  a  view  of  meeting  with  and  getting  redress 
from  the  famous  Dr.  Livingstone,  then  in  England,  who 
had  so  fearfully  wronged  the  poor  fellow  by  his  hasty 
imputations  on  his  honesty,  as  also  to  try  to  get  some 
employment  more  congenial  to  his  tastes  than  bird- 
painting.  In  fact,  I  understood  that  he  was  anxious  to 


MR.   BAINES.  123 

get  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  of  London  to  ap 
point  him  to  some  exploring  expedition.  Becoming 
gradually  and  fully  aware  of  this,  to  him,  all-engrossing 
feeling,  and  however  much  I  thought  it  against  both 
our  interests — for  my  friend  earned  a  certain  though 
humble  income  by  his  present  permanent  employment — 
I  considered  it  unkind  to  keep  him  any  longer  to  his 
engagement,  and  accordingly  bid  him  go.  And  thus 
we  parted  ;  and,  may  I  hope,  with  mutual  regret?  I 
shall  always  gratefully  remember  his  many  acts  of  good 
will  and  solicitude  for  my  comfort  and  ease,  during  this 
truly  distressing  period  of  my  life. 

After  Mr.  Baines'  departure  I  was  fortunate  enough 
to  discover  a  very  remarkable  bird  of  the  falcon  tribe, 
not  only  quite  new  to  science,  but  forming  an  alto 
gether  new  and  distinct  genus.  At  a  later  period  I  had 
the  very  great  pleasure  of  presenting  it  to  my  kind 
friend  Mr.  John  Henry  Gurney,  one  of  the  most  dis 
tinguished  and  pains-taking  ornithologists  of  the  present 
day.  I  speak  of  "  Andersson's  Perm  "  (Machcerhampus 
Anderssoni,  Gurney),  which  English  naturalists,  con 
sidering  I  was  its  first  discoverer,  were  pleased  to  name 
after  me. 

Of  this  very  singular  bird  I  obtained  one  specimen, 
a  female,  on  the  loth  of  March,  1865  ;  shot  near  to 
Otjimbingue  by  my  servant,  who  observed  another, 
probably  the  male;  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  I  also  saw  it 
on  more  than  one  occasion  in  the  same  neighborhood. 

When  the  specimen  in  question  was  brought  to  me, 
I  instinctively  suspected  it  was  a  feeder  at  dusk  or  at 
night,  and  exclaimed,  "  Why,  that  fellow  is  likely  to 
feed  on  bats!"  And  truly  enough  it  so  turned  out, 


124  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

for,  on  dissection,  a  bat  was  found  in  its  stomach  ;  and 
in  that  of  another  of  these  birds  killed  by  my  man  some 
time  afterward,  several  of  those  creatures  were  also  met 
with.  In  this  species  the  irides  are  bright  lemon-yellow, 
extremities  of  mandible  black,  basil  parts  and  gape 
bluish  lead-color,  and  toes  bluish- white. 

Measurement  of  Male  and  Female. 

Male.  Female. 

In.  Lines.  In.  Lines. 

Entire  length     .  .  .  .178  18       2 

Length  of  folded  wing .  .  .       13       9  13     Ir 

Length  of  tarsus  .  .  .22  25 

Length  of  middle  toe    .  .  .20  21 

Length  of  tail    .  .  .  .73  7       6 

Length  of  bill    .  .  .  .         I     10  19 

"  The  female  specimen  just  spoken  of,"  says  Mr. 
Gurney,  who  so  kindly  and  ably  edited  "  Birds  of 
Damaraland,"  "  was  presented  to  me  by  Mr.  Andersson, 
and  was  added  to  the  collection  of  Raptores  in  the  Nor 
wich  Museum.  Among  the  skins  of  birds  left  by 
Andersson  at  his  decease,  was  the  male  specimen  which 
he  subsequently  obtained  ;  and  this,  on  the  sale  of  his 
collection,  was  secured  for  the  British  Museum,  in  the 
Ornithological  Gallery  of  which  it  is  now  exhibited. 
These  two  specimens  only  differ  from  each  other  in  the 
somewhat  smaller  dimensions  of  the  male  bird.  The 
female  example  was  described  by  me  in  the  '  Proceed 
ings  of  the  Zoological  Society  '  for  1865,  under  the 
belief  that  it  was  both  generally  and  specifically  new, 
and  I  suggested  for  it  the  name  of  Stringonyx  -Anders- 
soni. 

"  Mr.  A.  A.  Bartlett  very  obligingly  undertook  to 


SINGULAR   BIRD. 


mount   this  specimen  for    the  Norwich  Museum,  and 

while  the  bird  was  thus  passing  through  his  hands  it 

occurred  to  him  that  it  certainly  belonged  to  the  same 

genus,  and  probably  to  the  same  species,  as  a  bird  in 

the  Museum  at  Leyden,  which  had  been  figured  and 

described  by  Mr.  G.  F.  Westerman,  under  the  name  of 

Mackarkampus  alcinus,  in  the   first  volume  of  a  scien 

tific   work  published  at  Amsterdam   under  the  title  of 

Bijdragen  tat  dc  Dierkundc,  etc.'     This  specimen  had 

been    purchased    for   the    Leyden    Museum    from  Mr. 

Frank,  the  well-known  dealer  in  birds  and  animals,  and 

was  stated  to  have  been   brought  from   Malacca  ;  but 

Mr.  Bartlett  was  of  opinion  that  this  locality  had  been 

erroneously  assigned  to  it,  and  that  the  bird  was  really 

a  native   of  Damaraland,  especially  as  many  birds  col 

lected  there  by  Mr.  Andersson  had  passed  through  the 

hands    of   Mr.  Frank  about  the  same  date  as  that  at 

which  the  '  Macharhampus  '  was  acquired  by  the  Leyden 

Museum  ;  and    it    was    therefore  presumed  that  some 

accidental    confusion    of  tickets  might  have  caused  a 

mistaken  habitat  to  be  assigned  in  error  to  this  speci 

men.     Mr.     Bartlett's     views    on     this     subject     were 

recorded  in  the  '  Proceedings  of  the  Zoological  Society, 

for  1866,  page    324;  and  as  I  concurred  in  his  opinion, 

the    female    specimen    from    Damaraland,  now   in    the 

Norwich  Museum,  was  figured  and  described  under  the 

name  of  MacharJiainpus  alcinus  in  the  '  Transactions  of 

the  Zoological  Society,'  Vol.  VI.,  Plate  29. 

*  This  conclusion,  however,  has  proved  incorrect, 
two  specimens  of  the  true  MacJicerhampus  alcinus, 
agreeing  with  that  at  Leyden,  having  subsequently 
occurred,  an  examination  of  which  has  proved  that  the 


126  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

Damaraland  bird,  though  a  nearly-allied,  is  yet  a  dis 
tinct  species,  and  therefore  entitled  to  retain  the  specific 
name  of  Anderssoni  which  I  originally  proposed  for  it. 

"  Of  the  two  additional  specimens  of  M.  alcinus 
above  referred  to,  one  is  in  the  possession  of  Count 
Turati,  of  Milan,  as  I  am  informed  by  my  friend  M. 
Jules  Verreaux  ;  but  the  locality  where  it  was  obtained 
has  not  been  recorded.  The  second  additional  speci 
men,  which  is  now  in  the  collection  of  Viscount  Walden, 
was  obtained  by  the  late  Dr.  Maringay  at  Malacca,  thus 
confirming  the  correctness  of  the  locality  originally 
assigned  to  the  Leyden  specimen. 

"  Mr.  R.  B.  Sharpe,  in  an  able  paper  on  this  subject, 
published  in  the  *  Proceedings  of  the  Zoological  Society ' 
for  1871,  thus  sums  up  the  distinctions  between  these 
two  nearly  allied  species.  '  The  Malacca  species  coin 
cides  with  the  Damara  bird  in  the  form  and  style  of 
plumage  to  having  the  white  ring  round  the  eye  and 
the  stripe  down  the  throat,  but  differs  in  its  larger  bill, 
darker  colors,  brown  abdomen,  and  long  occipital  crest ; 
there  seems,  however,  to  be  a  difference  in  the  white 
feathers  round  the  eye.  M.  Anderssoni  has  a  white 
superciliary  line  and  a  white  spot  below  the  eye  ;  M. 
alcinus  has  the  latter  plainly  mottled,  but  has  no  dis 
tinct  supercilium,  though  the  feathers  round  the  iris  of 
the  eye  are  whitish.'  " — Editor. 


-    CHAPTER  X. 

Proceed  to  Cape  Town — Surgical  advice — Cape  Town  Museum  and 
Library — Mr.  Layard — Avi-fauna  of  Damaraland — Axel  Ericson — 
Accumulation  of  misfortunes — Propose  to  return  to  Damaraland — 
Return  to  Otjimbingue — Wild  and  desolate  aspect  of  the  country — 
The  Welwitchia. 

TO  proceed  :  on  the  i6th  of  May,  1865,  by  which 
time  I  felt  myself  strong  enough  to  be  moved 
with  tolerable  safety,  I  set  out  with  my  family  for 
Walwich  Bay,  where  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  secure 
a  vessel  soon  after  our  arrival.  The  voyage  to  Cape 
Town  proved  speedy  and  prosperous,  having  by  a  mir 
acle  escaped  the  terrible  gale  that  swept  Table  Bay  at 
this  period,  and  which  proved  so  disastrous  to  the  ship 
ping  of  that  port.  The  unfortunate  mail  steamer,  the 
Athens,  the  reader  may  perhaps  recollect,  was  among 
the  worst  wrecks  recorded,  since  neither  ship  nor  human 
beings  were  ever  heard  of,  having  been  lost  within  sight 
of  the  port,  though  such  was  the  violence  of  the  hurri 
cane,  that  no  one  knew  of  the  sad  occurrence  till  the 
following  day. 

As  may  be  supposed,  I  lost  no  time  in  obtaining 
the  best  surgical  advice.  Dr.  R ,  my  regular  medi 
cal  attendant,  after  the  most  careful  examinations  of 
the  wound,  and  after  gathering  all  facts  and  particulars 
relating  to  it  previous  to  my  arrival  in  Cape  Town, 
unhesitatingly  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I  must  sub- 


128  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

mit  to  amputation — the  more  so  as  I  had  given  him  to 
understand  that  I  was  a  ruined  man,  and  had  a  family 
to  provide  for,  and  consequently  required  to  be  in  a 
perfect  state  of  health  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 
Others,  again,  took  a  different  view  of  the  case,  and 
declared  that,  though  the  leg  looked  deformed  enough, 
and  notwithstanding  the  small  amount  of  union  that 
had  hitherto  taken  place  in  the  bones,  there  was  still 
hopes  for  me  that  I  should  walk  one  day.  But  on 
pressing  these  medicos  for  something  more  definite — 
for  some  substantial  reason  for  their  belief,  and  for  the 
limitation  of  the  time  of  my  supposed  recovery,  they 
merely  shrugged  their  shoulders  and  remarked,  "  We 
cannot  give  you  any  particular  reasons,  but  nature 
works  out  strange  cures  at  times,  and  we  feel  confident 
that  she  will  do  so  in  your  case."  Both  parties  meant 
well  ;  the  one  thought  only  of  how  most  readily  and 
efficiently  to  restore  me  to  health,  while  the  other 
naturally  imagined  that  I  should  be  anxious  to  save  the 
limb  which  had  hitherto  proved  such  a  faithful  servant 
'to  me. 

But  this  hesitation  and  indecision  could  only  prove 
injurious  to  my  general  health  by  keeping  me  in  sus 
pense  as  to  the  ultimate  issue.  And,  therefore,  to  set 
the  matter  at  once  at  rest,  I  determined  to  consult  a 
friend  in  England,  of  considerable  reputation  as  a  sur 
geon  of  one  of  the  first  hospitals  in  London.  Accord 
ingly,  I  got  my  friend,  Dr.  R ,  to  draw  up  a  report 

upon  the  disabled  leg,  accompanied  by  correct  diagrams 
and  measurements,  and  so  well  did  he  accomplish  his 
task  that  it  drew  forth  the  most  unqualified  praise  and 
admiration  of  my  English  medical  friend,  who  conse- 


SURGICAL  ADVICE.  129 

quently  found  no  difficulty  in  forming  and  giving  his 
opinion.  And  it  amounted  to  this :  "  I  would  recom 
mend  amputation ; "  for  though  he  laid  before  me 
another  alternative,  it  was  clear  he  himself  put  no  faith 
in  its  efficacy.  Armed  with  this  weighty  document — 
for  my  English  adviser  was  well-known  by  report  to 
most  of  the  faculty  in  Cape  Town — I  presented  myself 
before  five  of  the  most  talented  and  experienced  sur 
geons  of  the  place,  fully  determined  to  abide  by  their 
verdict. 

After  a  lengthy  consultation,   and   notwithstanding 

Drs.  R and  B 's  opinions,  four  out  of  the  five 

gentlemen  decided  to  leave  the  leg  alone,  at  least  for 
another  six  weeks,  when,  if  the  union  of  the  bones  was 
not  satisfactorily  advanced,  it  would  be  time  enough  to 
think  of  amputation.  "  It  was  easy,"  they  argued, 
"  to  take  off  the  leg,  but  impossible  to  replace  it."  And 
at  the  end  of  the  stated  period  the  leg  was  found  to  be 
so  much  improved  in  strength,  if  not  in  appearance, 
that  it  was  finally  decided  to  "  let  well  alone  "  ;  in  fact, 
to  permit  nature  to  do  the  best  she  could  for  me. 

I  scarcely  knew  whether  to  be  pleased  or  disap 
pointed  with  the  result,  for,  even  -should  I  ever  be  able 
to  walk,  it  would  be  in  such  a  crippled  way  as  to  pre 
clude  an  active  life  in  future.  And  I  had  heard  so 
much  of  the  excellence  and  superiority  of  artificial  legs 
and  arms  over  deformed  natural  limbs  that  I  felt  half 
inclined  to  have  insisted  upon  amputation,  with  a  view 
of  verifying  or  falsifying  such  reports.  But  it  was  not 
to  be.  It  is  true  I  am  now  able  to  hobble  about  in  a 
way,  but  it  is  only  with  pain  and  inconvenience  that  I 
can  accomplish  even  a  few  hundred  yards.  And  before 
6* 


I3O  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

I  arrived  at  this  indifferent  result,  I  had  to  suffer  the 
most  severe  pain  for  many  months.  Indeed,  nearly 
two  years  elapsed  before  I  could  dispense  with  crutches, 
and  I  have  never  been  able  to  do  without  a  stick. 
Three  and  a  half  inches  of  the  large  bone,  and  about 
half  as  much  of  the  smaller,  has  been  lost — removed,  as 
already  stated,  in  upward  of  seventy  pieces  and  splin 
ters.  The  deficiency  in  the  length  of  the  leg  is  toler 
ably  compensated  for  by  an  artificial  cork  and  leather 
boot,  but  no  remedy  has  yet  been  found  for  its  other 
deformities,  which  are  the  real  causes  of  my  not  being 
able  to  walk. 

During  my  stay  in  Cape  Town  I  spent  much  time 
at  the  Museum,  then  superintended  by  my  friend  Mr. 
Layard,  who  not  only  paid  me  every  attention  in  his 
power,  but  greatly  aided  me  in  comparing  and  identify 
ing  specimens  of  natural  history,  of  which  this  institu 
tion  possesses  a  large  number.  The  collection  of  eggs, 
numbering  upward  of  five  hundred,  and  they  are  very 
good  ones  too,  specially  attracted  my  attention.  The 
library  attached  to  the  museum  possesses  upward  of 
2,500  volumes. 

These  frequent  visits  to  the  museum,  where  I  learned 
much,  together  with  the  numerous  specimens  of  birds 
presented  to  me  by  friends  and  acquaintances,  and  shot 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Cape  by  a  Swedish  servant  named 
Svante,  who  had  accompanied  me  from  Damaraland, 
enabled  me  to  make  considerable  progress  with  my  con 
templated  work,  the  "  Avi-fauna  of  Damaraland,"  and 
the  adjacent  regions,  for  which,  through  the  medium 
of  a  friend,  I  had  now  found  a  publisher,  in  the  Messrs. 
Day  and  Son,  the  celebrated  lithographers  ;  and  though 


ACCUMULATION   OF   MISFORTUNES.  131 

the  estimated  cost  of  each  copy  would  be  five  guineas, 
I  was  nevertheless  enabled  to  procure  upward  of  one 
hundred  subscribers  in  the  Cape  Colony,  which  goes  far 
to  prove  the  wealth  of  the  inhabitants. 

While  sojourning  at  the  Cape  I  was  joined,  at  his 
own  particular  desire,  by  a  youth  named  Axel  Ericson, 
from  Sweden.  His  credentials  were  the  best,  and  fully 
borne  out  by  his  subsequent  conduct  while  in  my  ser 
vice.  He  was  a  fair  shot,  and  few  surpassed  him  in 
preserving  bird  skins,  which  to  me  was  of  moment,  as 
I  was  thereby  relieved,  in  a  degree  at  least,  from  the 
disagreeable  task.  Altogether  he  proved  a  very  valu 
able  addition  to  my  little  staff. 

After  such  an  accumulation  of  misfortunes  and  re 
verses  as  narrated  in  the  preceding  chapter,  it  may  be 
well  supposed  that  my  means  had  not  only  diminished, 
but  were  altogether  exhausted.  Nay,  after  settling 
with  my  Cape  agents,  to  whom  I  resigned  all  my  worldly 
possessions — including  my  wife's  property — I  found 
myself  a  beggar  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word.  In 
deed,  had  it  not  been  for  my  brother-in-law's  *  hospi 
tality,  I  must  have  starved.  Many  a  man  might  fairly 
have  given  way  to  despair  at  such  prospects  as  were 
evidently  in  store  forme.  I  loved  independence  dearly, 
and  would  be  under  obligations  to  no  man  as  long  as 
there  was  the  slightest  chance  of  earning  a  living  by  my 
own  hands  or  brains.  But  with  the  best  of  wills  to 
work  for  my  bread,  I  was  hardly  fit  for  the  lightest 
occupation.  Owing  to  a  money  crisis,  I  believe,  Cape 
Town  at  this  time  was  in  a  state  of  something  like 
temporary  bankruptcy,  and  there  were  hundreds  of  men 
*  Now  Postmaster-General  at  the  Cape. — ED. 


132  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

out  of  employment,  far  more  capable  than  myself,  and 
even  had  I  found  some  friend  to  take  pity  on  me,  I 
could  hardly  have  given  satisfaction  in  my  weak  and 
enervated  condition.  I  had  already  been  too  much 
confined,  and  it  was  clear  that  a  sedentary  occupation 
would  no  longer  agree  with  my  health. 

In  this  dilemma  it  was  not  unnatural  that  I  should 
turn  my  thoughts  to  the  "  old  country,"  i.  e.,  Damara- 
land  ;  for  though  I  had  lost  my  all  there,  it  was  equally 
true  that  there  I  had  acquired  everything,  and  why  not 
try  to  make  a  second  competence  in  the  same  land  ?  Of 
course,  there  were  now  serious  drawbacks  which  had 
not  existed  in  the  first  instance,  but  I  have  been  so  ac 
customed  to  battle  with  troubles  and  difficulties  of  all 
kinds,  that  it  requires  a  good  deal  to  turn  me  from  my 
purpose  when  once  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  do  a 
thing.  My  wife,  however,  was  quite  angry  with  me 
when  first  I  broached  the  subject  to  her.  "  It  was  sim 
ply  madness  to  think  of  it,"  she  said  ;  and  my  medical 
attendant  was  pretty  much  of  the  same  opinion.  In 
my  weak  state  of  health,  and  with  a  leg  only  partially 
healed,  I  should  run  too  much  risk.  But  I  thought 
otherwise.  The  faculty  had  been  able  to  do  little  or 
nothing  to  alleviate  my  sufferings,  though  they  had 
done  everything  that  kindness,  close  attention,  and  skill 
could  apparently  do.  I  had  an  idea  that  a  return  to 
old  scenes  and  occupations,  as  well  as  to  the  air  that 
had  agreed  with  me  so  well  for  such  a  number  of 
years,  could  not  fail  to  prove  beneficial.  And  when  I 
argued  this  with  another  surgical  friend,  he  quickly 
remarked,  "  You  cannot  do  better ;  there  are  times 
when  a  man  may  be  allowed  to  be  his  own  physician, 


RETURN   TO   DAMARALAND.  133 

and  your  case  is  probably  such  a  one."     This  settled 
the  question. 

But  in  my  impoverished  state,  to  will  a  thing  of 
such  moment  was  not  quite  to  do  it,  as  I  should,  of 
course,  require  a  considerable  outfit.  And  who  would 
undertake  such  a  risk  ?  My  name,  it  is  true,  I  found 
stood  as  high  as  ever  in  the  Cape  mercantile  community 
for  honor  and  integrity.  But  the  time  for  credit  had 
passed  away  ;  for  things  were  different  now  from  what 
they  were  before.  A  man  with  ,£50  in  his  pocket 
might  then  have  obtained  supplies  to  the  amount  of 
several  hundreds,  while  nothing  but  cash,  or  the  very 
best  securities,  would  now  do.  I  had  once  begun  my 
account  with  Messrs.  V-  -  &  Co.,  with  upward  of 
^"2,000  to  my  credit,  and  I  felt  painfully  the  difference 
of  my  present  position.  Unfortunately,  I  have  been 
gifted  with  a  very  sensitive  mind,  and  a  refusal  would 
have  caused  me  much  pain  and  shame.  Through  very 
severe  loses  sustained  in  the  business,  I  knew  my  late 
agents  were  incapable  of  assisting  me  at  this  juncture, 
nor  did  I  apply  to  them.  But  the  plunge  must  be 
made  somewhere  ;  and  I  am  happy  to  say  that,  when 
at  last  I  mustered  up  courage  to  take  it,  out  of  the 
half-a-dozen  individuals  to  whom  I  applied  for  assist 
ance,  only  one  refused,  and  that  for  the  smallest 
amount.  Nay,  the  applications  were  not  only  readily 
granted,  but  were  accompanied  by  sympathizing  notes, 
and  the  expressions  of  most  unbounded  confidence  in 
my  integrity.  I  cannot  express  how  pleased  I  felt  at 
this  proof  of  confidence.  It  showed  that  honesty  and 
straightforward  dealings  will  always  bring  their  reward. 
And  it  affords  me  much  pleasure  to  add  that  my  sup- 


134  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

porters  never  found  cause  to  regret  their  trust  ;  for, 
under  God,  I  have  since  been  able  to  repay  them,  and 
thus  save  them  from  all  risks,  though  I  shall  always 
remain  their  debtor  for  their  kindness  and  liberality. 

Having  overcome  this,  my  greatest  difficulty,  I  lost 
no  time  in  making  the  necessary  preparations,  and  after 
some  delay,  caused  by  the  want  of  a  proper  and  cheap 
craft,  I  set  sail  for  Walwich  Bay,  on  the  2d  of  May,  1865, 
accompanied  by  the  lad  Axel,  of  whom  mention  was 
recently  made,  and  another  Swede,  Captain  Eeen,  of 
the  mercantile  service,  who  had  entered  my  employ 
ment.  This  place,  after  a  short  and  prosperous  voyage, 
we  reached  on  the  Qth  of  the  same  month,  and,  after  a 
stay  of  a  few  days  there,  proceeded  to  my  old  quarters 
at  Otjimbingue. 

On  the  way  there,  the  travellers'  road,  for  a  consid 
erable  distance,  lies  over  as  barren  a  country  as  can 
well  be  conjured  up  to  the  imagination.  Here  sand 
hills,  miles  and  miles  in  extent,  rising  several  hundred 
feet  in  altitude,  and  changing  their  terror-inspiring  aspect 
with  every  fresh  and  strong  wind  that  blows  ;  there 
a  naked  granite  rock  or  bowlder,  reflecting  from  its  red 
dish  looking  surface  a  glaring  and  insupportable  heat  • 
or  huge  heaps  of  (black)  "  iron  stone,"  neighboring  per 
haps  a  dazzlingly  white  limestone  ridge,  all  destitute 
of  vegetation.  This  is  its  appearance ;  and  there  are 
hundreds  of  miles  along  the  west  coast,  northward  and 
southward — even  extending  far  inland — precisely  like 
it.  Indeed  it  might  vie  with  the  Great  Sahara  itself  in 
sterility  and  dreariness  ;  and  the  weary  eye  seems  to 
range  in  vain  over  this  howling  wilderness,  in  search 
of  some  object  worthy  of  attention.  Nevertheless, 


PREPARATIONS   FOR  DEPARTURE.  135 

there  is  to  be  found  in  this  desert  of  sand  and  rock- 
more  especially  as  one  approaches  the  watershed  of  the 
periodical  Swakop — an  object  of  the  highest  interest  to 
the  naturalist,  one  that  has  of  late  years  won  for  itself 
a  world-wide  reputation.  I  allude  to  the  celebrated 
Welwitchia,  a  plant  uniting  within  itself  characters  pecu 
liar  to  many  classes  of  vegetable  productions,  but  of 
which,  owing  to  some  strange  oversight,  I  omitted  to 
make  mention  in  my  former  works. 


CHAPTER   XL 

Defeat  of  Hottentots — Fall  of  a  lawless  marauder — Letter  to  the  editor 
of  the  "  Cape  Town  Mail  and  Advertiser" — Escape  from  shipwreck — 
Samuel,  the  Freebooter — Mr.  Green's  advance  to  the  Cunene — Re 
newed  disturbances — Great  loss  of  produce — A  new  way  to  pay  old 
debts — Letter  to  Jan  Jonker — Jacobus  Boyce. 

DURING  my  absence  from  the  country,  the  Hot 
tentots  had  at  last  carried  out  their  threats  of 
attacking  Otjimbingue,  but  the  attempt  had  not  only 
proved  an  utter  failure,  but  led  shortly  after  to  the  com 
plete  ruin  of  one  of  the  parties  concerned.  I  am  in 
formed  that  they  appeared  before  my  old  place  quite 
2,000  strong  ;  and  had  they  been  as  brave  as  they  were 
numerous,  it  would  have  fared  badly  with  the  Damaras 
that  day,  as  they  could  only  oppose  to  their  enemies  a 
comparatively  small  number  of  fighting  men.  But  for 
tunately  they  proved  the  very  reverse  of  courageous, 
for  after  having  exchanged  a  few  volleys  at  long  range, 
they  most  disgracefully  took  to  their  heels,  closely  fol 
lowed  by  the  Damaras,  who  captured  a  considerable 
number  of  ride-oxen,  which,  in  their  hurried  flight,  they 
were  unable  either  to  find  or  to  mount. 

Not  long  after  this  signal  and  almost  bloodless  vic 
tory  on  the  part  of  the  Damaras,  for  I  believe  only  one 
man  was  killed  on  their  side,  they  mustered  in  very 
large  force,  and  accompanied  by  a  strong  party  of  their 
old  allies,  the  Rehobothians,  followed  up  the  enemy  to 


DEFEAT   OF  HOTTENTOTS.  137 

his  own  place.  Four  or  five  distinct  tribes  of  Hotten 
tots  had  entered  into  an  alliance,  with  a  view  of  destroy 
ing  the  Damaras,  but  one  of  these  under  Henry  Nanib, 
had  made  itself  especially  obnoxious  to  the  latter  and 
the  Rehobothians,  and  it  was  therefore  determined  to 
try  and  punish  this  man  first,  as  with  his  fall  the  others 
would  certainly  lose  courage,  and  thus  make  them 
more  inclined  for  peace. 

They  (the  Damaras)  found  Nanib  strongly  in 
trenched,  and  assisted  by  numerous  friends  from  adjoin 
ing  parts.  Such,  however,  of  the  Namaquas,  who  were 
with  him  under  Jan  Jonker,  fled  at  the  first  onset,  not, 
I  believe,  so  much  out  of  fear  as  out  of  sheer  disgust 

o 

with  their  friends,  who  had  conspicuously  shown  the 
white  feather  in  the  late  combined  attack  on  Otjimbin- 
gue.  In  short,  Jan  Jonker  was  afraid  to  trust  his  life 
among  them.  Moreover,  it  was  said  that  he  and  his 
people  were  really  anxious  for  peace.  But  "  a  dog  will 
always  bark  best  on  its  own  threshold,"  and  so  the  Da 
maras  and  their  allies  found  it  now,  for  Nanib  had  been 
brought  regularly  to  bay,  and  finding  escape  impossi 
ble,  and  being  well  protected  by  stone  walls,  natural  and 
artificial,  he  and  his  people  retrieved  their  reputation, 
offering  the  most  resolute  resistance.  Indeed  it  is 
affirmed,  and  with  perfect  truth  I  believe,  that  had  it 
not  been  for  the  presence  of  the  Rehobothians,  the  Da 
maras  would  have  been  driven  back  with  shame  and 
slaughter.  As  it  was  they  lost  many  men,  but  the 
day,  somewhat  inauspiciously  begun,  ended  in  the  most 
complete  victory,  every  one  of  the  enemy,  including 
the  obnoxious  chief,  being  slain.  This  was  very  sat 
isfactory  ;  and  I  verily  believe  there  was  not  even  a 


138  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

Namaqua,  except  his  own  intermediate  adherents,  that 
did  not  rejoice  in  the  fall  of  this  lawless  Hottentot  com 
mander.  He  had  for  years  been  the  bugbear  and  bully 
of  his  neighbors,  as  well  as  of  the  white  trader,  whom  he 
never  failed  to  insult,  rob,  and  even  personally  ill-treat 
whenever  and  wherever  he  found  the  opportunity. 
The  country  had  truly  been  rid  of  a  scourge  and  a  pest ! 

This  decisive  victory  had,  as  may  well  be  supposed, 
thoroughly  disheartened  the  enemy,  and  though  no 
regular  peace  had  been  established,  there  seemed  to  be 
a  tacit  understanding  between  all  parties  that  hostilities 
were  to  cease.  The  Rev.  Mr.  VoUner,  indeed,  a  mis 
sionary  among  the  "  Red  Nation  "  (the  most  numerous 
among  the  enemies  of  the  Damaras),  on  his  way  through 
Otjimbingue,  had  been  commissioned  to  offer  peace  to 
his  flock.  This  was  the  state  of  affairs  on  my  arrival  in 
the  country,  which,  however,  will  be  better  understood 
by  the  following  letter  that  I,  on  the  6th  of  June,  1866, 
addressed  to  the  Editor  of  the  "  Cape  Town  Mail  and 
Advertiser  "  : 

"  The  kindly,  nay,  almost  affectionate  interest  always 
evinced  toward  me  and  my  *  adopted  land,'  by  your 
self  and  the  Cape  public  in  general,  inclines  me  to  the 
belief  that  any  news  from  the  *  old  country  '  will  not 
prove  unacceptable  to  the  columns  of  your  valuable 
paper. 

"  As  you  are  aware,  I  left  the  Cape  lately  with 
the  following  objects  chiefly  in  view,  viz. :  to  try  and 
recover  my  health,  and  put  a  few  pounds  in  my  empty 
purse,  and  to  add  to  and  improve  my  stock  of  knowl 
edge  as  regards  my  contemplated  great  work  on  the 
feathered  tribes  of  these  and  neighboring  regions — a 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  DAMARAS.  130 

work,  the  prospectus  of  which  your  and  other  impor 
tant  Cape  papers  noticed  so  favorably  shortly  before 
my  departure. 

"But  before  I  say  anything  on  the  state  of  the 
country  and  my  own  future  movements,  etc.,  I  cannot 
refrain  from  telling  you  of  a  wonderful  escape  from 
shipwreck  that  I  have  had;  the  circumstances  are 
shortly  these.  There  being  a  scarcity  of  suitable  craft 
in  Table  Bay  at  the  period  I  speak  of,  and  a  still  greater 
dearth  of  cash  in  my  pocket,  my  kind  friend  Spence 
(of  the  firm  De  Pass,  Spence,  &  Co.),  generously 
offered  me  a  passage  to  Walwich  Bay,  via  St.  Helena, 
in  their  fine  vessel,  the  Isabella  Hartley.  By  a  mere 
accident  I  was  prevented  from  availing  myself  of  this 
offer,  but  shortly  afterward  shipped  in  the  Telegraph 
and  arrived  safely  at  my  destination.  Hardly  had  I 
landed  my  effects,  however,  when,  to  my  astonishment, 
and  sincere  regret,  I  observed  the  Isabella  Hartley  on 
shore  within  sight,  and  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  she  became 
in  a  short  time  a  total  wreck.  This  is  the  second  time 
I  have  been  thus  marvellously  preserved.  Truly  I  have 
much  to  be  thankful  for  when  1  remember  the  very 
many  hair-breadth  escapes  that  I  have  had,  both  by  sea 
and  land. 

"  But  to  proceed  with  my  story.  My  return  to 
Damaraland,  with  solitary  exceptions  perhaps,  was 
hailed  with  universal  satisfaction,  and  many  a  man  less 
accessible  to  public  applause  than  myself,  might  have 
felt  flattered  at  the  reception,  for  I  find  that  though 
perhaps  I  have  not  been  able  to  endear  myself  to  the 
people,  my  absence  had  been  felt  as  an  evil — a  no  mean 
compliment.  As  it  is,  however,  I  feel  more  grieved 


I4O  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

than  pleased,  since  it  proves  but  too  clearly  how  impos 
sible  it  is  for  the  natives  to  go  on  by  themselves.  In 
fact  they  are  like  children,  who  require  an  unimpas- 
sioned,  judicious,  and  fearless  parent  to  guide,  judge, 
and  even  chastise  where  necessary.  Were  the  country 
of  greater  intrinsic  value  than  it  is,  and  were  it  possible 
for  the  English  Government  to  send  a  commissioner,  I 
would  strongly  recommend  such  a  step  as  the  only 
means  of  finally  restoring  peace,  order,  justice,  and 
confidence.  The  great  curse  of  this  country  is  the  mu 
tual  distrust  existing  between  every  party.  The  only 
man,  the  Rev.  C.  H.  Hahn,  who  from  his  well-known 
integrity,  fearlessness,  and  knowledge  of  the  country, 
its  wants  and  population,  could  fairly  challenge  the  ne 
cessary  attention,  confidence,  and  respect,  is  in  a  meas 
ure  incapacitated  from  exerting  these  qualities  in  con 
sequence  of  his  position  as  a  missionary.  Politics  and 
evangelization  are  difficult  to  reconcile  in  one  and  the 
same  person.  I  truly  grieve  for  this  unhappy  land. 

"  In  their  last  engagement  with  the  Hottentots,  the 
Damaras  had  received  effective  and  valuable  aid  from 
the  Rehoboth-Namaquas,  who  had  always  proved  them 
selves  stanch  friends  and  supporters  of  the  Damara 
cause.  But  it  would  seem  that  the  subsequent  sharing 
of  the  spoil  and  other  causes,  by  the  time  I  arrived, 
threatened  to  lead  to  an  open  rupture.  I  am  happy  to 
be  able  to  add,  however,  that  I  have  for  the  present  suc 
ceeded  in  arranging  matters  to  their  mutual  satisfaction. 
Nevertheless  I  would  not  answer  for  the  result  when 
once  my  back  is  again  fairly  turned  upon  the  parties 
concerned,  the  more  so  as  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hahn  is  just 
now  absent  on  a  long  journey  to  the  Ovampo,  etc. 


LETTER  FROM  MR.  PALGRAVE.         141 

That  cursed  mutual  distrust,  above  spoken  of,  makes  a 
thorough  reconciliation  so  difficult,  if  not  impossible, 
between  so  many  conflicting  interests. 

"  In  the  very  midst  of  these  attempts  at  pacification 
reports  spoke  of  an  attack  upon  more  than  one  party 
of  Europeans  now  away  to  the  northward,  hunting  and 
bartering.  The  leader  of  these  marauders  is  one  Sam 
uel,  once  a  subject  of  Jonker  Afrikaner,  but  who,  even 
before  the  Damara  war  of  independence  began,  had 
separated  himself  from  the  tribe,  and  had  ever  since 
pursued  a  system  of  plundering  and  murdering.  And, 
unfortunately,  from  the  central  and  all  but  inaccessible 
position  fixed  upon  by  this  freebooter,  he  was  enabled 
seriously  to  annoy  and  injure  inoffensive  traders  and 
hunters.  The  Damaras,  it  is  true,  had  twice  attacked 
and  routed  the  villain,  but  in  their  usual  careless  way 
they  had  allowed  him  and  most  of  the  men  to  escape, 
and  the  consequence  is  that  the  rascal  has  again  found 
means  of  reoccupying  his  former  stronghold,  and  in 
greater  force  than  ever,  it  is  reported. 

"  A  few  days  after  these  rumors  had  reached  us, 
and  after  they  had  been  duly  discussed  as  to  their 
probable  correctness,  letters  reached  me  from  several 
of  my  hunting  acquaintances,  confirming  our  worst 
fears,  though  not  altogether  without  some  cause  for 
rejoicing  in  the  midst  of  the  ruin  wrought  by  the  scoun 
drels.  Mr.  Palgrave,  who  had  been  one  of  the  parties 
attacked,  but  who  by  a  most  laudable  determination 
and  judicious  defence  had  been  enabled  to  turn  the 
tables  against  the  enemy,  thus  writes  : 

"  '  On  the  morning  of  Saturday  the  28th  of  April, 
I  was  at  Namatoni,  a  large  fountain  near  the  edore  of 


142  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

Elosha,  and  about  eight  o'clock,  just  as  I  was  sitting 
down  to  breakfast,  we  were  surprised  by  about  twenty 
Namaquas  with  some  hundred  bushmen,  Berg-Damaras, 
etc.,  etc.  One  of  my  people  instantly  recognized  among 
the  Namaquas  some  of  the  same  rascals  who  shot 
Messrs.  Smuts,  Todd,  and  Lewis  in  the  Kaoko,  in  1864. 
As  soon  as  I  could  prepare  my  people,  I  attacked  the 
party,  routed  them  completely,  killing  several,  six  it  is 
said,  took  two  guns  and  six  ride-oxen.  My  party,  ex 
clusive  of  one  man  who  was  with  the  cattle,  and  three 
others  who  ran  away  at  first  sight  of  the  enemy,  was  only 
six  in  number,  that  is  myself,  Kenny,  Svante,  and  three 
Damaras,  and  of  these  only  four  of  us  had  guns.  I 
regret  that  I  must  add  that  Svante  and  three  Damaras 
were  wounded.  Poor  Svante's  wound  is  not  very  se 
rious  ;  he  received  the  bullet  on  the  outer  side  of  the 
hip  bone — the  ilium — which  it  has  very  slightly  splin 
tered,  and  up  to  yesterday  (Mr.  P 's  letter  is  dated 

1 2th  of  May)  was  progressing  very  favorably,  when  he 
was  attacked  by  his  old  enemy  rheumatism,  which  will, 
I  am  afraid,  retard  his  recovery  considerably.  I  reached 
Ondonga  on  the  7th  inst.,  where  I  found  your  servant, 
Grendon,  who  at  once  placed  your  very  nice  house  at 
my  disposal,  in  which  poor  Svante  is  as  comfortably 
housed  as  circumstances  have  permitted.  I  have  said 
that  I  reached  Ondonga  on  the  7th  inst.  Two  days 

after,  L came  in  on  foot  and  reports  that  up  to  the 

27th  of  April,  he,  T ,  and  K —   -  were  outspanned 

at  a  fountain  about  forty-five  miles  north-east  of  Otjitno, 
where  they  had  been  very  successful  in  obtaining  ivory. 
On  the  morning  of  the  27th  they  were  attacked  by  a 
party  of  Hottentots,  who  succeeded  in  taking  from  them 


SVANTE.  143 

three  wagons,  five  horses,  all  their  cattle,  and  1000  Ibs.  of 

ivory.  In  short  T—    -  and  L lost  everything  except 

about  1000   Ibs.  of  ivory,  which  they  had  a  short   time 
before  buried,  and  another  1000  Ibs.  left  in  charge  of 

Otjikongo  ;  K saves  five  guns,  but  loses  everything 

else.  They  were  attacked  very  early  in  the  morning,  and 
were  quite  unprepared  for  action.     I  regret  to  say  that 
not  a  single  shot  was  fired  by  any  of  the  party.     T— 
was  wounded,  one  Damara  woman  killed,  others  cap 
tured,  and  two  or  three  wounded.     K 's  conduct  in 

the  affair  seems  to  have  been  scandalous.     L left 

again  yesterday  with  your  wagon  and  a  party  to  fetch 
in  the  buried  ivory  and  the  wounded.'  " 

The  reader  may  perhaps  have  guessed*  that  the 
Svante  of  whom  Mr.  Palgrave  in  his  letter  makes  men 
tion  as  having  been  wounded,  is  my  Swedish  servant, 
whom  I  had  sent  with  my  friend  to  collect  additional 
materials  for  my  book  on  the  natural  history  of  the 
country.  Notwithstanding  some  serious  faults,  Svante 
has  always,  from  early  youth,  proved  himself  a  devoted 
follower  of  my  father  and  myself,  accompanying  us, 
when  in  his  native  land,  not  only  on  our  shooting  ex 
cursions,  but  when  war  was  made  on  wild  beasts  ;  and 
latterly  sharing  with  me  in  South  Africa  many  a  trying 
scene  and  situation  by  "  flood  and  field."  We  are  con 
sequently  much  attached  to  each  other.  Poor  fellow  ! 
though  once  possessed  of  gigantic  strength  and  the 
most  robust  health,  he  is  now  but  a  shadow  of  his 
former  self,  and  I  am  therefore  not  without  some  ap 
prehensions  for  his  final  safety.* 

*  Andersson's  apprehensions  regarding  the  man  in  question  were  not 
groundless,  for  soon  afterward  lockjaw  set  in  and  he  succumbed  to  his 


144 


NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 


"  I  have  succeeded  in  inducing  the  Damaras  to  go 
in  pursuit  of  Samuel  and  his  murderous  followers  ;  but 
from  the  indifferent  success  that  attended  them  on 
former  occasions  against  the  same  men,  I  may  perhaps 
be  allowed  to  doubt  their  being  able  to  effect  anything 
that  is  likely  to  really  benefit  the  cause  of  the  whites  in 
these  parts.  Still  I  must  and  will  hope  for  the  best. 

k<  It  was  originally  my  intention  to  have  started  for 
the  Ovampo  country  about  this  time,  but  I  shall  now 
be  compelled  to  await  the  return  of  the  Damaras  from 
their  present  expedition,  for  though  I  might  probably 
be  strong  enough  to  defend  myself  against  the  attacks 
of  any  marauders  that  may  chance  to  cross  my  path,  I 
should  have  gained  but  little,  since  the  risk  to  individ 
uals  or  very  small  parties  must  remain  the  same. 

"  Mr.  Green  informs  me  that  he  has  at  last,  in  com 
pany  with  young  Smuts,  and  one  John  Pereira,  suc 
ceeded  in  penetrating  to  the  long  heard  of  and  long 
sought  for  river  Cunene,  and  that  the  aspect  of  the  coun 
try  round  about  it  greatly  exceeds  his  most  sanguine 
anticipations.  He  speaks  in  raptures  of  the  scenery, 
which  far  surpasses  that  of  the  Okavango,  as  also  does 
the  river  in  general  size  and  grandeur.  On  his  way 
there,  Mr.  Green  passed  through  numerous  tribes,  rich 
in  cattle,  cultivating  the  soil  diligently,  much  given  to 
barter,  and  all  bearing  a  strong  resemblance  to  the 
Ovampo,  in  their  manners,  habits,  and  general  appear 
ance.  He  met,  moreover,  with  considerable  civilization 
among  one  or  two  of  the  nations  in  question.  One 

wound,  to  the  deep  regret,  as  it  would  appear,  not  only  of  his  master,  to 
whom  he  was  greatly  attached,  but  of  many  others  in  Africa,  who  took  a 
vast  liking  to  him  for  his  kind  and  obliging  disposition.— ED. 


COUNTRY   ON   THE   CUNENE.  145 

chief  was  especially  well  advanced,  being  completely 
dressed  like  a  European,  whom  he  further  imitated  by 
living  apart  from  his  subjects,  over  whom  he  evidently 
exercised  the  most  absolute  sway. 

44  Mr.  Green  and  party  were  everywhere  kindly  and 
hospitably  received ;  only  once  did  they  experience 
anything  like  a  rude  reception,  which,  however,  was 
soon  turned  into  one  of  the  most  friendly  nature.  My 
friend  attributes  all  this  to  the  kind  representations  of 
the  Ovampo  chief,  Otjkongo,  who  is  not  alone  most 
friendly  disposed  toward  Europeans,  but  possesses 
much  influence  with  the  neighboring  tribes.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Hahn  has  just  gone  to  Ondonga,  with  a  view  of 
trying  to  establish  a  mission  there.  I  am  sure  we  all 
wish  him  God  speed  ! 

"  But  though  Mr.  Green  gives  such  a  glowing  account 
of  the  scenery,  the  country,  and  its  capabilities,  he 
speaks,  on  the  other  hand,  in  the  most  discouraging 
terms  of  any  attempt  at  trying  to  establish  a  trade 
between  the  various  tribes  inhabiting  the  regions  be 
tween  the  Ovampo  and  the  Cunene,  as  well  as  those 
living  on  its  banks.  Not  because  of  any  unwillingness 
on  the  part  of  the  natives  to  trade  with  other  Euro 
peans,  nor  from  want  of  produce  to  exchange  ;  but 
because  the  commerce,  he  says,  is  completely  monopo 
lized  by  the  Portuguese,  who,  from  the  intimate  knowl 
edge  they  possess  of  the  people  and  their  wants,  the 
exceeding  small  cost  at  which  they  travel — for  they  get 
food  gratuitously  from  the  natives,  and  their  merchan 
dise,  as  well  as  the  produce  obtained  in  exchange,  are 
all  carried  by  slaves — and  the  cheapness  of  their  wares 
utterly  forbids  all  competition.  Thus,  he  assures  me 
7 


146  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

that  the  price  paid  for  a  single  elephant  tusk,  say  50  Ibs., 
weight,  is  eight  to  ten  coins  !     Surely  it  is  high  time 
that    the    Cape    Government    remitted  the  exorbitant 
duty  on  guns  and  ammunition  in  favor  of  parties  pro 
ceeding  in  the  direction  here  indicated,  so  as  to  enable 
them  to  compete  with  some  chance  of  success  with  the 
Portuguese.     For,  notwithstanding  Mr.  Green's  dismal 
forebodings,  I   feel  confident  of  success,  could  an  outfit 
be  obtained  at   the  Cape  on  reasonable  terms.     I  have 
yet  to  learn  that  a  spirited  and  persevering  Anglo-Saxon 
is   to   be   distanced    by  a   European    of  more  favored 
climes,  whether  it  be  in  the  field   of  daring  exploration 
or  the  more  peaceable  pursuit  of  commercial  enterprise  ! 
"  But,   rny  dear   Mr.  Editor,  I  am  sadly  trespassing 
upon    your   space,    and    for   fear   of   exhausting   your 
patience  altogether,  I  will  hasten  to  close  this  lengthy 
epistle.     I   have  only  to  add,  in  conclusion,  that    the 
mission-work  among  the  Damaras  is  progressing  favor 
ably.     A  few  natives  have^been  converted  to  Christian 
ity,  more  are  under  preparation  for  baptism,  a  goodly 
number  of   children  go  to  school,  a  nice  church  is  in 
course    of  erection  ;  and    lastly,  though  not  the    least 
important,  the  natives  are  steadily  acquiring  habits  of 
industry.     The  bed  of  the  periodical  Swakop,  in  front 
of  the  station,  is  for  a   considerable  distance  covered 
with  newly  sown  corn-lands,  and  much  of  the  ground  on 
the    banks   is   rapidly   being  converted    into    gardens. 
Altogether,  the  prospects  are  favorable,  and  all  that  is 
required  to  make  the  people  and   country  happy  and 
prosperous  is  permanent  peace — and  I  am  told  there  is 
some   chance  of  this — and  a  better   government.     In 
short,  we  require  an  upright,  well-to-do,  fearless  man, 


LETTER   TO   "CAPE   ADVERTISER   AND    MAIL."       147 

who  would  be  prepared  to  deal  out  even-handed  justice 
alike  to  the  high  and  lowly,  to  the  rich  and  the  poor." 

On  the  22d  of  November,  I  again  wrote  to  the 
Editor  of  the  "  Advertiser  and  Mail,"  to  the  following 
effect : 

"  When  I  last  had  the  pleasure  of  addressing  you 
from  this  country,  I  was  led  to  speak  rather  hopefully 
of  its  present  and  future  condition,  but  I  am  sorry  to 
have  to  inform  you  that,  instead  of  a  peaceful  settle 
ment  of  the  difficulties  that  have  of  late  years  caused 
so  much  strife  and  bloodshed,  the  country  is  once 
more  thrown  into  a  state  of  the  utmost  confusion,  and 
the  prospects  of  peace  farther  off  than  ever.  The 
object  of  the  present  letter  is  to  give  you  and  the 
public  the  facts,  so  far  as  I  am  acquainted  with  them, 
that  have  led  to  this  unhappy  result. 

"  You  will  remember,  I  dare  say,  my  allusion  to  a 
certain  Hottentot  marauder  of  the  name  of  Samuel, 
who  was  levelling  '  black-mail '  on  peaceful  hunters  and 
others,  and  that  the  Damaras  had  promised  me  to  try 
to  punish  the  villain,  as  well  as  to  break  up  his  strong 
hold.  Month  after  month,  however,  elapsed  without 
any  signs  of  their  intentions  to  redeem  their  solemn 
promises,  till  at  last  I  fairly  despaired  of  ever  seeing 
them  fulfilled.  But  all  at  once  they  (the  Damaras) 
declared  their  readiness  to  proceed,  and  remembering 
the  old  saying,  '  better  late  than  never,'  I  saw  them 
depart  with  joy  and  hope  of  a  happy  issue. 

"  But  I  had  reckoned  without  mine  host,  for,  not 
many  days  after  the  commando  had  left,  rumors  were 
rife  that  they  had  altered  their  intended  course,  which 
was  to  Samuel's  stronghold  on  the  confines  of  Damara- 


148  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

land  ;  and  this,  in  consequence  of  having  learned  by  the 
way  that  the  marauder,  in  anticipation  of  punishment 
for  his  many  misdeeds,  had  already  left  his  den  with 
his  people  and  ill-gotten  booty  and  retraced  his  steps 
into  Namaqualand,  and  instead  of  returning  home  they 
had  followed  him  into  that  province.  For  should  these 
rumors  prove  true,  it  was  not  difficult  to  see  that  they 
would  attack  any  other  Namaquas  that  might  cross 
their  path,  and  thus  open  a  fresh  old  wound  and 
grievance. 

"  And  it  turned  out  as  I  had  anticipated,  for  a 
smaller  party  preceding  the  main  body  of  the  army, 
having  encountered  at  an  early  period  some  Namaquas 
(altogether  unconnected  with  Samuel),  with  whom  was 
a  white  trader,  who  happened  to  be  in  their  company, 
they  at  once  fell  upon  and  slaughtered  the  whole 
party,  and  then  took  possession  of  their  effects.  This 
was  very  sad  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  attack  on  unof 
fending  Namaquas,  it  was  the  first  time,  so  far  as  I  am 
aware,  that  the  Damaras  had  been  guilty  of  such  an 
outrage  on  Europeans,  for,  unlike  their  more  civilized 
neighbors,  the  Namaquas,  who  were  in  the  frequent 
habit  of  abusing,  robbing,  and  ill-treating  the  white 
traders  they  casually  met,  the  latter  had  always  been 
respected  by  them. 

"  And  although  on  intelligence  of  the  raid  reaching 
Otjimbingue,  the  chief  expressed  regret  for  what  had 
occurred,  and,  moreover,  promised  that  on  the  return 
of  the  expedition  the  property  of  the  traders  should  be 
restored  to  them — yet  I  could  not  learn  that  such  res 
toration  had  been  made. 

"  But  to  go  back  to  the  commando,  which,  after 


TWO   ENCOUNTERS  WITH   NAMAQUAS.  149 

vainly  following  the  spoor  of  Samuel's  wagon  for  a  con 
siderable  distance  into  Namaqualand,  were  at  length 
necessitated  to  retrace  their  steps,  in  which  they  appear 
to  have  suffered  dreadfully  from  sickness  (whereby 
very  many  died),  and  want  of  water  and  food.  At  this 
period,  moreover,  an  advanced  party  of  them,  consisting 
of  from  three  to  four  hundred  stragglers,  were  surprised 
by  a  strong  body  of  Namaquas,  who  were  returning 
from  a  hunting  expedition,  and  utterly  routed,  leaving 
forty-seven  of  their  number  dead  on  the  spot.  As  a 
set-off,  however,  to  this  mishap,  the  main  body  of  the  Da- 
maras  soon  afterward  met  the  same  party  of  Namaquas 
who,  proud  of  their  late  victory,  hesitated  not  to  attack 
even  them.  But  the  Damaras  not  only  showed  a  bold 
front,  but  steadily  advanced  on  their  foes,  who,  being 
all  mounted,  retreated  to  their  wagons,  which  were 
'  trekking.'  Here  the  Namaquas  dismounted,  and  de 
liberately  awaited  the  Damaras  until  so  near  that  '  the 
white  of  the  eye  could  be  seen,'  when  they  simulta 
neously  fired  a  volley,  and  then  remounting,  they  one 
and  all  fled  for  their  lives,  leaving  their  wagons,  oxen, 
etc.,  a  prey  to  the  enemy.  Notwithstanding  the  close 
proximity  of  the  opposing  forces  on  the  occasion  in 
question,  it  would  not  appear  that  any  of  the  Damaras 
were  killed,  but  six  Namaquas  were  subsequently  dis 
patched  by  them  with  the  assegai. 

"  Previous  to  the  occurrences  mentioned,  I  had 
received  tidings  of  another  nature,  that  seriously  affected 
me  personally  ;  namely,  that  a  large  party  of  Nama 
quas,  headed  by  J.  Boyce  and  J.  Jonker,  had  made  a 
sudden  descent  on  Walwich  Bay  and  the  neighborhood, 
laying  friend  and  foe  alike  under  contribution,  but 


ISO  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

more  especially  myself,  who  unfortunately  had  just 
forwarded  a  large  quantity  of  valuable  produce  for 
shipment  to  Cape  Town,  nearly  the  whole  of  which 
was  carried  off.  The  worst  feature  in  this  case  is  that 
the  outrage  was  principally  committed  by  a  Namaqua 
chief,  with  whom  we  had  never  been  at  enmity,  but  on 
whom,  on  the  contrary,  I,  for  one,  had  lavished  much 
kindness  and  bestowed  many  handsome  presents.  He, 
moreover,  owed  me  close  on  ;£ioo.  I  suppose  the 
rascal  thought  it  a  very  pleasant  way  of  crying  quits. 
This,  as  you  may  well  imagine,  has  been  a  grievous  blow 
to  me,  and  one  from  which  I  shall  not  easily  recover. 
Still,  for  the  sake  of  the  dear  pledges  of  my  affection, 
and  those  Avho  so  liberally  and  trustingly  helped  to 
equip  me,  I  will  not  despair.  Indeed,  as  far  as  my 
creditors  are  concerned,  they  are  secure  enough,  for  by 
dint  of  the  most  strenuous  exertions  and  self-denial,  I 
still  hold  property  enough  to  make  good  all  their  claims. 
It  is  my  poor  family  who  will  be  the  sufferers.  But  I 
feel  that  the  Almighty,  who  has  hitherto  so  mercifully 
and  marvellously  preserved  me,  will  not  abandon  me  in 
this  my  hour  of  need,  and  that  my  honest  endeavors 
will  finally  be  crowned  with  success.  Away,  then,  with 
dark  thoughts  !  cheerily  once  more  on  the  boundless 
ocean  of  Hope  !  " 

To  proceed :  Having  by  this  time  pretty  well 
ascertained  that  the  Damaras  had  no  sincere  wish  for 
peace,  and  seeing  that  it  would  be  hopeless  for  me  to 
struggle  successfully  against  so  many  contingencies  of 
danger,  without  some  guarantee  from  my  enemies  of 
being  allowed  to  pursue  my  peaceable  avocations 
unmolested,  I  addressed  at  this  period  a  letter  to  Jan 


HOPELESS   STRUGGLE.  151 

Jonker,  demanding  whether  he  wanted  peace  or  war; 
that  for  my  own  part,  I  was  heartily  tired  of  strife  and 
bloodshed,  and  would  be  glad  to  come  to  a  thorough 
understanding  at  once.  On  Jacobus  Boyce,  I  did  not 
deem  it  worth  while  to  waste  ink  and  paper,  but  would 
leave  to  the  Damaras  to  deal  with  the  ungrateful 
wretch  as  they  saw  fit. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Scarcity  of  wild  beasts  near  Otjimbingue — The  Leopard — Its  resorts  and 
food — Manner  of  surprising  its  prey — Wonderful  bound — Accident 
to  Axel — African  Boer — Out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire — An- 
dersson's  adventure — Temerity  of  the  Leopard — The  chasse — Dogs 
— The  chetah — How  it  hunts — The  wild-cat — Andersson's  letter. 

/~\TJIMBINGUE  had  once  been  a  famous  resort  of 
^--S  wild  beasts  of  various  kinds,  and  though  these 
had  of  late  years  been  in  a  great  measure  driven  or 
scared  away  by  the  largely  increased  population,  a 
stray  shot  was  occasionally  obtainable  at  some  of  the 
smaller  as  well  as  the  larger  quadrupeds  indigenous  to 
the  country.  A  visit  from  a  lion  was,  on  the  whole,  a 
rare  event  ;  but  leopards,  chetahs,  lynxes  (generally 
known  as  wild-cats),  paid  frequent  visits  to  the  sheep- 
folds,  hen-roosts,  etc.  A  favorite  rendezvous  of  theirs 
were  three  small  rocky,  table-shaped  eminences, 
largely  strewn  with  bowlders — and  consequently  well 
suited  for  their  hide-and-seek  nature — within  easy 
range  of  my  house. 

Before,  however,  I  speak  of  these  animals,  a  word 
or  two  regarding  their  natural  history,  etc.,  may  not 
be  out  of  place. 

The  leopard  of  Africa  (Felis  Leopardus),  there  very 
commonly  called  tiger  or  panther — the  first  in  order, 
which  Captain  Harris  tells  us  is  very  similar  in  appear 
ance  to  that  indigenous  to  India — is  common  through- 


THE   LEOPARD.  I  53 

out  Damaraland,  as  also  Southern  Africa  generally  ; 
but,  from  its  cunning,  active  nature  and  nocturnal 
habits,  is  but  rarely  seen.  It  is  about  two  feet  seven 
inches  high  at  the  shoulder,  and-  seven  feet  six  inches 
in  extreme  length.  The  chin,  neck,  breast,  belly,  and 
inside  of  the  extremities  are  white,  the  rest  varying  in 
different  specimens  between  tawny,  fulvous  and 
reddish-brown,  irregularly  marked  with  spots  of  black 
which  differ  greatly  in  number,  size,  and  appearance  at 
different  ages  and  seasons.  It  is  monogamous,  or 
solitary.  In  its  wild  state  it  is  an  exceedingly  beauti 
ful  creature,  its  motions  in  the  highest  degree  easy  and 
graceful,  and  its  agility  in  bounding  among  the  rocks 
and  woods  quite  amazing.  Of  its  activity  no  person 
can  have  an  idea  by  seeing  it  in  the  cages  in  which 
these  animals  are  usually  exhibited  in  Europe,  hum 
bled  and  tamed  as  they  are  by  confinement  and  the 
cold  and  damp  of  the  climate. 

The  chief  resorts  of  the  leopard  are  mountainous 
districts,  where  rock  is  piled  on  rock  in  frightful  confu 
sion,  leaving  between  them  fissures  and  caverns,  more 
or  less  spacious.  It  is  also  met  with  in  dense  brakes 
and  tangled  coverts,  where,  if  hard  pressed  by  the 
hunter,  it  almost  invariably  takes  refuge  in  a  tree,  should 
one  be  at  hand  ;  and  if  this  be  large  and  umbrageous, 
it  is  not  without  difficulty  the  animal  is  discovered,  it 
having  a  marvellous  faculty  of  concealing  itself  behind 
some  knotty  branch,  or  at  the  junction  of  the  larger 
limbs  with  the  trunk.  Under  such  circumstances, 
moreover,  it  requires  a  practised  eye  and  a  steady  hand 
to  bring  it  down  dead,  as,  if  merely  wounded,  the  chances 
are  both  man  and  dogs  will  fare  badly.  Neverthe- 
7* 


154  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

less,  this  is   the  easiest  and   safest  way  of  killing   the 
leopard. 

Its  food  is  very  various;  indeed,  hardly  anything 
comes  amiss  to  its  voracious  appetite  and  blood-thirsty 
nature;  and,  what  is  worse,  it  wantonly  slays  far  more 
than  it  can  consume,  and  thus  becomes  doubly  destruc 
tive,  so  to  say.  It  attacks  indiscriminately  birds,  the 
rock-rabbit  (Hyrax  Capensis),  monkeys,  baboons,  dogs 
(of  the  latter  of  which  it  is  said  to  be  specially  fond), 
if  they  come  in  its  way,  antelopes,  sheep,  goats,  and 
young  cattle.  It  is  said,  indeed,  that  it  causes  the 
natives  and  colonists  more  damage  than  even  the  lion 
and  other  beasts  of  prey  put  together.  It  also  preys 
on  the  ostrich,  among  whom,  from  that  bird's  want  of 
hearing  and  smell,  it  commits  great  ravages.  Indeed, 
I  am  inclined  to  believe  that,  of  the  large  number 
annually  destroyed  in  Damaraland  and  adjacent  parts, 
whether  by  man  or  otherwise,  two-thirds  may  be  fairly 
charged  to  the  leopard's  account.  I  draw  this  inference, 
because  out  of  the  ostrich  feathers  brought  to  me  by 
the  natives  for  the  purpose  of  barter,  such  of  them  as. 
had  been  plucked  from  birds  killed  by  the  leopard  were 
readily  distinguished  from  those  of  birds  shot  by  the 
hunter  or  captured  in  gins  and  pit-falls,  by  their  jagged, 
mangled,  and  sawed  look,  occasioned  by  the  teeth  of 
the  creature  in  question. 

According  to  Methuen,  even  the  "  fretful  "  porcu 
pine  is  not  safe  from  the  attacks  of  the  leopard,  for 
after  describing  the  death  of  one  of  the  last-named  ani 
mals,  he  says,  "  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  on  skinning  it 
we  found  several  bits  of  porcupine  quills,  upward  of 


AGILITY    OF   THE   LEOPARD.  155 

two  inches  in  length,  embedded  in  the  flesh,  with  much 
attendant  suppuration." 

Elsewhere,  the  same  author,  after  telling  us  that 
certain  animals  and  birds  have  a'propensity  to  lay  in  a 
supply  of  provisions  for  an  emergency,  goes  on  to  say, 
"The  Hottentots  led  us  to  the  water  near  our  camp, 
and  showed  us  a  singular  phenomenon  in  the  shape  of 
a  *  leopard's  larder,'  in  which  some  savory  morsels  of 
flesh  were  stored  away  in  the  forks  of  a  large  olive  tree, 
at  about  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  and  carefully  con 
cealed  by  some  twigs,  the  leaves  of  which  were  just 
shrivelled." 

As  with  the  lion,  the  leopard  always  surprises  its 
prey,  either  by  stealing  upon  it  cat-fashion,  or  from  an 
ambush.  As  a  rule,  it  fixes  its  fangs  in  the  neck  of 
the  victim,  and  with  such  fatal  accuracy  that  marks  of 
one  or  both  of  them  are  usually  found  on  or  about  the 
jugular  vein,  and,  as  a  consequence,  few  animals  thus 
seized  escape  with  life.  Nevertheless,  although  its 
strength  is  very  considerable,  it  might  be  matched  by 
a  powerful  dog  were  it  not  for  its  surprising  agility. 
The  extent  of  Its  bound  when  endeavoring  to  escape 
from  an  enemy,  whether  it  be  from  a  height  or  the 
ground,  is  at  times  almost  beyond  credence.  Indeed, 
I  myself  was,  on  a  certain  occasion,  an  eye-witness  to 
its  wonderful  powers  in  this  way  ;  it  was  under  these 
circumstances:  One  evening,  a  little  before  sunset, 
while  I  was  still  suffering  from  the  effects  of  fever,  all 
my  dogs  suddenly  began  to  give  chase  to  some  animal, 
which  the  distance  did  not  enable  us  to  distinguish. 
To  judge,  however,  from  the  rapid  alternating  attacks 
and  retreats  of  the  pursuers,  they  evidently  had  a  for- 


156  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

midable  antagonist  before  them.  I  was  too  weak  to  keep 
quite  up  with  them,  but  my  curiosity  was  so  great  that 
I  almost  did  so.  They  were,  I  conjectured,  from  their 
steady,  unbroken,  deep  bay,  close  upon  the  haunches  of 
the  enemy,  yet  I  could  not  distinctly  see  either  the  dogs 
or  the  object  of  their  pursuit  ;  when  all  at  once  a  mag 
nificent  leopard  sprang  right  before  me,  from  the  topmost 
branches  of  a  tall  acacia,  clearing,  with  a  single  bound, 
all  his  fierce  assailants.  I  was  so  astounded  at  the 
magnitude  of  the  leap — of  which,  without  having  seen 
it,  a  person  can  hardly  form  a  notion— that,  looking  first 
at  the  tree  and  then  at  the1  place  on  which  the  beautiful 
animal  alighted,  I  could  hardly  withdraw  my  eyes  from 
the  spot.  Had  the  dogs  been  equally  fascinated  as 
myself  with  the  fierce  muscular  action  of  the  comely 
creature,  they  would  certainly  have  lost  their  prey  ;  but 
rage  alone  animated  them,  and  before  the  panther  had 
proceeded  one  hundred  yards,  they  had  overtaken  and 
pulled  him  to  the-  ground,  when  they  fell  on  him  with 
such  ferocity  that  by  the  time  I  reached  the  scene  of 
conflict,  the  poor  brute  gave  no  other  signs  of  life  than 
a  quivering  of  the  limbs. 

Its  disposition  is  fierce,  cruel,  and  vindictive,  and  it 
has  the  reputation  of  being  desperately  courageous. 
Speaking  generally,  however,  excepting  in  self-defence, 
or  when  wounded,  the  leopard  will  not  attack  people  ; 
though  it  does  happen  at  times  that  when  they  approach 
too  near  to  its  hiding-place  it  will,  without  the  slight 
est  provocation,  make  an  onset  on  the  intruder. 

Casualties  from  leopards  in  my  vicinity  were  not  of 
unfrequent  occurrence.  On  one  occasion,  indeed,  my 
Swedish  lad,  Axel,  was  beating  some  low  bushes  in 


CASUALTIES   FROM    LEOPARDS.  157 

search  of  game  and  specimens,  when  he  suddenly  found 
himself  in  presence  of  one  of  these  beasts,  who,  appar 
ently,  was  in  the  very  act  of  springing  upon  him,  its 
head  being  ensconced  between  its  fore  legs,  as  is  its 
wont  on  such  occasions.  Being  probably  startled  at  the 
unexpected  vision,  the  youth  hurriedly  raised  his  fowl 
ing-piece  to  his  shoulder  and  fired.  But  the  contents, 
unfortunately,  only  lodged  in  one  of  the  animal's  fore- 
paws,  which  it  smashed,  as  was  afterward  ascertained, 
and  before  he  could  pull  the  second  trigger  he  found 
himself  in  a  deadly  struggle  with  the  exasperated  brute. 
However,  being  a  strong-limbed  and  courageous  young 
man,  he  seized  the  leopard  with  both  hands,  and  for 
some  moments  held  it  down  to  the  ground  by  main 
fcfrce.  Hearing  cries  of  distress,  some  Damaras  who 
were  herding  cattle  hard  by  came  up,  but  seeing  the 
danger,  they  beat  a  precipitate  retreat.  My  poor  boy 
repeatedly  pointed  with  his  foot  to  the  gun,  but  all  in 
vain,  and  he  began  to  despair  of  his  life,  as  the  beast 
had  by  this  time  dreadfully  lacerated  both  his  hands 
and  arms,  and  consequently  unfitted  him  for  prolonged 
strife  with  such  a  fierce  and  powerful  opponent.  Prov 
identially  the  dogs,  though  not  the  most  courageous, 
came  to  the  rescue,  and  by  persistently  worrying  the 
beast  in  his  hinder  parts,  finally  compelled  him  to 
decamp,  though  not  until  he  had  killed  one  of  the  num 
ber.  It  is  satisfactory,  however,  to  add  that  he  him 
self  was  shortly  afterward  destroyed  by  a  party  of  na 
tives,  who,  on  hearing  the  poor  fellow's  cries,  promptly 
ran  to  the  spot,  and  afterward  went  in  pursuit  of  the 
leopard,  which  died  game,  having  slain  a  second  dog; 


158  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

two  others,  moreover,  being  accidentally  shot  by  their 
owners  in  the  general  mttie. 

As  I  have  said,  the  lad  was  fearfully  knocked  about 
and  mauled.  In  some  places,  especially  about  the  hands 
and  wrists,  the  teeth  of  the  animal  had  actually  met  in 
the  flesh.  I  am,  however,  happy  to  be  able  to  add  that 
with  care  and  quiet,  he  ultimately  regained  the  use  of 
his  arms  and  hands,  though  not  until  after  much  and 
prolonged  suffering. 

On  another  occasion,  a  herd  of  mine  espied  a  leopard 
among  some  rocks,  and  being  armed  he  unhesitatingly 
discharged  his  musket,  but  either  missed  his  mark,  or 
very  slightly  wounded  the  brute.  The  next  moment 
the  poor  fellow  felt  himself  struck  violently  to  the 
ground,  with  the  teeth  of  the  infuriated  animal  deep 
buried  in  his  left  shoulder.  However,  by  the  assist 
ance  of  some  dogs  the  leopard  was  made  to  retreat  after 
awhile,  but  not  until  it  had  fearfully  mauled  the  man, 
who,  though  he  recovered  temporarily,  eventually  died 
from  the  effects  of  the  dreadful  wounds  inflicted. 

Numerous  other  instances  of  the  ferocity  of  the 
leopard  have  come  under  my  own  notice,  and  very 
many  others  are  on  record,  of  which  I  shall  instance 
a  few. 

"  Two  African  farmers  returning  from  hunting, 
roused  a  leopard  in  a  mountain  ravine,  and  imme 
diately  gave  chase  to  it.  The  beast  at  first  endeavored 
to  escape  by  clambering  up  a  precipice ;  but  being 
hotly  pursued  and  wounded  by  a  musket-ball,  it  turned 
upon  its  assailants  with  the  frantic  ferocity  peculiar  to 
this  animal,  and  springing  upon  the  man  who  had  fired 
at  it,  pulled  him  to  the  ground,  biting  him  at  the  same 


FEROCITY   OF   THE   LEOPARD.  159 

time  on  the  shoulder,  and  tearing  open  his  cheeks  with 
its  claws.  The  other  hunter,  seeing  the  danger  of  his 
comrade,  sprang  from  his  horse,  and  attempted  to 
shoot  the  leopard  through  the  -  head  ;  but  whether 
owing  to  trepidation,  the  fear  of  wounding  his  friend, 
or  the  quick  motions  of  the  animal,  he  unfortunately 
missed.  The  leopard,  abandoning  its  prostrate  foe, 
darted  with  redoubled  fury  upon  its  new  antagonist, 
and  so  fierce  and  sudden  was  the  onset  that,  before  the 
Boer  could  stab  it  with  his  hunting-knife,  the  savage 
brute  struck  him  on  the  head  with  its  claws,  and  actu 
ally  tore  the  scalp  over  his  eyes.  In  this  frightful 
condition  the  hunter  grappled  with  the  leopard,  and, 
struggling  for  life,  they  rolled  together  down  a  steep 
declivity.  All  this  passed  far  more  rapidly  than  it  can 
be  described  in  words.  During  this  dreadful  scene  the 
hunter  first  attacked  had  started  to  his  feet  and  seized 
his  gun,  and  after  reloading  it,  he  rushed  forward  to 
save  the  life  of  his  friend.  But  it  was  too  late.  The 
leopard  had  seized  the  unfortunate  man  by  the  throat, 
and  mangled  hi^i  so  dreadfully  that  death  was  inevita 
ble  ;  and  his  comrade  (himself  severely  wounded)  had 
only  the  melancholy  satisfaction  of  completing  the 
destruction  of  the  savage  beast,  already  exhausted  with 
the  loss  of  blood  from  several  deep  wounds  from  the 
knife  of  the  expiring  huntsman." 

Again,  another  instance  of  the  ferocity  of  the 
leopard  occurred  in  the  case  of  the  Missionary  Schmidt. 
"  This  worthy  man  had  gone  out  with  a  party  of  Hot 
tentots  at  another  Moravian  station  to  hunt  some 
hyenas  which  had  been  very  destructive  to  their  flocks, 
and  in  company  with  one  of  the  men  entered  a  thicket 


I(5o  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

in  pursuit  of  a  beast  they  had  wounded.  Instead  of 
the  hyena,  however,  the  dogs  started  a  leopard,  which 
instantly  sprang  on  the  Hottentot  and  bore  him  to  the 
ground.  Mr.  Schmidt  ran  forward  to  the  aid  of  the 
man,  with  his  gun  cocked  ;  but  before  he  could  find  an 
opportunity  of  firing,  the  animal  left  the  Hottentot  and 
flew  with  fury  at  himself.  In  the  scuffle  he  dropped 
the  gun,  but  luckily  fell  above  the  leopard  with  his 
knee  on  its  stomach.  The  animal  seized  him  by  the 
left  arm  with  its  jaws,  and  kept  striking  him  with  its 
paws  and  tearing  his  clothes  in  tatters  from  his  breast. 
Schmidt,  however,  being  a  powerful  man,  succeeded, 
after  receiving  another  severe  bite  or  two,  in  seizing  the 
leopard  by  the  throat  with  his  right  hand,  and  held  it 
down,  in  spite  of  its  desperate  struggles,  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  until  his  strength  was  on  the  point  of 
giving;  \vav,  when  a  Hottentot  on  the  outside  of  the 

o  £>  J  ' 

jungle,  who  heard  his  cries,  came  to  the  rescue,  and 
shot  the  ferocious  beast  through  the  heart,  so  that  its 
death  was  instantaneous.  Had  any  life  been  left,  its 
dying  struggles  might  still  have  proved  fatal  to  Mr. 
Schmidt.  As  it  was,  he  was  so  terribly  lacerated  that 
for  several  weeks  his  life  was  in  the  greatest  danger. 
The  Hottentot  who  was  first  attacked  was  less  severely 
wounded,  but  his  face  was  so  much  torn  by  the 
animal's  talons  that  his  eyes  were  filled  with  blood* 
and  he  was  unable  to  render  any  aid  to  the  missionary 
who  had  so  generously  come  to  his  aid." 

"  While  in  this  helpless  state  "  (rheumatic  fever), 
writes  Gordon  Gumming,  "  Mr.  Orpen  and  Present  (a 
native  follower)  had  gone  up  the  river  to  shoot  sea-cows, 
when  they  fell  in  with  an  immense  leopard,  which  Pres- 


MAN   SEIZED    BY  A   LEOPARD.  i6l 

ent  wounded  very  badly.  They  then  sent  natives  to 
camp  to  ask  for  dogs,  of  which  I  sent  them  a  couple. 
In  about  an  hour  the  natives  came  running  back  and 
said  that  Orpen  was  killed  by  the  leopard.  On  further 
inquiry,  however,  I  found  that  he  was  not  really  killed, 
but  fearfully  torn  and  bitten  about  the  arms  and  head. 
They  had  rashly  taken  up  the  spoor  on  foot,  the  dogs 
following  behind,  instead  of  going  in  advance.  The 
consequence  of  this  was  that  they  came  right  upon  the 
beast  before  they  were  aware  of  him,  when  Orpen  fired 
and  missed  him.  The  leopard  then  sprang  on  his  shoul 
ders,  and  dashing  him  to  the  ground,  lay  upon  him, 
growling  and  lacerating  his  hands,  arms,  and  head  most 
fearfully.  Presently  the  creature  permitted  Orpen  to 
rise,  and  come  away." 

Where  were  Present  and  all  the  natives,  that  not  a 
man  of  them  moved  to  assist  the  unfortunate  Orpen  ? 
He  goes  on  to  say  :  "  According  to  an  established  cus 
tom  among  all  colonial  servants,  the  instant  the  leopard 
sprang  on  him,  Present  discharged  his  piece  in  the  air, 
and  then,  dashing  it  to  the  ground,  he  rushed  down 
the  bank  and  jumped  into  the  river,  along  which  he  swam 
some  hundred  yards  before  he  would  again  venture  on 
terra firma.  The  natives,  though  numerous  and  armed, 
had  likewise  fled  in  another  direction." 

The  teeth  of  the  leopard,  or  rather  its  saliva,  I  pre 
sume,  are  reputed  to  be  of  a  very  poisonous  nature. 
Certain  it  is  that  men  bitten  by  the  animal  seldom 
recover  from  their  hurts  until  after  a  length  of  time  and 
much  suffering. 

I  should  remark  that  when  a  man  has  been  bitten 
by  a  tiger,  and  the  beast  has  afterward  been  killed,  the 


162  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

Damaras  melt  some  of  the  fat,  which  is  poured  into  the 
wound  along  with  a  powder  produced  by  pounding  a 
portion  of  its  teeth.  They  also,  I  am  informed,  take 
the  moist  soil  out  of  the  river-bed,  which,  after  being 
cooked,  or  prepared  in  some  way  or  other,  is  applied  as 
a  poultice  to  the  wounds.  A  tiger's  bite,  the  natives 
moreover  assert,  is  less  dangerous  if  inflicted  at  noon 
than  at  an  earlier  or  later  period  of  the  day.  It  is  a 
curious  fact  that  the  custom  of  applying  a  portion  of 
the  fat,  entrails,  or  even  the  flesh  of  the  creature 
(whether  quadruped  or  reptile)  held  to  be  poisonous  to 
the  wounds  of  a  man  that  has  been  bitten  by  it,  or  of 
taking  the  same  internally,  should  be  prevalent  among 
nearly  all  the  tribes  of  Southern  Africa. 

Numerous  instances  of  hairbreadth  escapes  from 
the  leopard  are  also  on  record,  among  which  that  of 
Moffat  the  missionary  is,  perhaps,  not  the  least  remark 
able,  the  rather  as,  in  the  avoidance  of  the  threatened 
danger,  he  incurred  another  of  even  a  more  perilous 
nature,  thus  verifying  the  old  saying,  "  Out  of  the  fry 
ing-pan  into  the  fire. 

"  In  one  of  my  early  journeys,"  he  writes,  "  I  had 
an  escape  from  an  African  tiger  and  a  serpent,  no  less 
providential.  I  had  left  the  wagons,  and  wandered  to 
a  distance  among  the  coppice  and  grassy  openings  in 
quest  of  game,  I  had  a  double-barrelled  gun  on  my 
shoulder,  which  was  loaded  with  a  ball  and  small 
shot.  An  antelope  passed,  at  which  I  fired,  and  slowly 
followed  the  course  it  took.  After  advancing  a  short 
distance,  I  saw  a  tiger  staring  at  me  between  the  forked 
branches  of  a  tree,  behind  which  its  long,  spotted  body 
was  concealed,  twisting  and  turning  its  tail  like  a  cat 


PROVIDENTIAL   ESCAPE.  163 

just  going  to  spring  on  its  prey.  This,,  I  knew,  was  a 
critical  moment.  I  moved  about  as  if  in  search  of 
something  on  the  grass,  taking  care  to  retreat  at  the 
same  time.  After  getting,  as  I  thought,  a  suitable 
distance  to  turn  my  back,  I  moved  somewhat  more 
quickly  ;  but  in  my  anxiety  to  escape  what  was  behind, 
I  did  not  see  what  was  before  me,  until  startled  by 
treading  on  a  large  cobra-da-capello  serpent  asleep  on 
the  grass.  It  instantly  twisted  its  body  round  my  leg, 
on  which  I  had  nothing  but  a  pair  of  thin  trousers, 
when  I  leaped  from  the  spot,  dragging  the  enraged  and 
venomous  reptile  after  me,  and  while  in  the  act  of 
throwing  itself  into  a  position  to  bite,  I,  without  turn 
ing  round,  threw  my  piece  over  my  shoulder  and  shot 
it.  Taking  it  by  the  tail,  I  brought:  it  to  my  people  in 
the  wagons,  who,  on  examining  the  bag  of  poison,  as 
serted  that,  had  the  creature  bitten  me,  I  could 
never  have  reached  the  wagon.  The  serpent  was  six 
feet  long." 

Happily,  I  myself  never  came  within  the  clutches 
of  a  leopard,  though  on  one  occasion,  had  not  prudence 
got  the  better  part  of  valor  at  a  critical  moment,  I 
might  have  found  myself  in  a  very  awkward  scrape. 

Cantering  one  genial  afternoon  past  one  of  the 
wooded  knolls  recently  spoken  of,  near  to  Otjimbingue, 
with  a  splendid  eagle  (Aquila  bellicosd]  slung  to  my 
saddle,  I  was  treated  to  an  exquisite  view  of  one  of  the 
creatures  perched  most  picturesquely  on  a  projecting 
rock.  With  body  expanded  to  its  utmost  size,  nerves 
strained  apparently  almost  to  bursting,  leaning  well 
forward  from  the  bowlder,  one  of  its  hind  legs  being 
firmly  planted  on  an  adjoining  stone,  tail  swaying  mean- 


164  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

ingly  to  and  fro,  and  with  eyes  dilated  and  glittering, 
fixed  steadily  on  some  object  immediately  below,  it 
hung,  as  it  were,  on  the  clear-cut  horizon,  the  very  beau- 
ideal  of  a  feline  picture. 

I  was  within  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  of  the  brute, 
but  so  intensely  was  his  gaze  riveted  on  some  other 
passing  object  that  it  either  was  not  aware  of  my  pres 
ence,  though  in  full  view  of  me  from  its  elevated  posi 
tion,  or  it  lost  sight  of  its  own  danger  in  trying  to  com 
pass  its  natural  impulses.  Reining  in  my  steed  cau 
tiously,  I  contemplated  admiringly  for  a  few  moments 
the  striking  scene,  varied  by  the  contrast  of  a  large 
herd  of  many-colored  sheep  and  goats  just  emerging 
from  some  low  brushwood  at  the  foot  of  the  rock — evi 
dently  the  object  of  the  leopard's  fascination — frisking 
and  gambolling  in  their  satiety  and  fulness,  totally  un 
conscious  of  the  close  proximity  of  their  dreaded  and 
deadly  foe. 

Only  one  barrel  of  my  fowling-piece  chanced  to  be 
loaded,  and  that  with  the  very  smallest  shot,  having 
shortly  before  discharged  the  other  at  the  eagle  spoken 
of;  but  the  temptation  to  have  a  shy  at  the  fierce 
marauder  was  too  great  to  be  withstood,  and  being 
always  much  of  a  creature  of  impulse,  I  quickly  made 
up  my  mind  to  the  risk.  I  felt  confident  that  if  I  could 
but  bring  a  huge  stone  that  rose  close  to  the  animal 
between  me  and  him  unperceived,  a  sudden  leap  or 
two  would  bring  me  face  to  face  with  him,  and  give  me 
a  chance  of  despatching  him  with  even  such  an  indiffer 
ent  missile  as  I  had  then  at  command.  Accordingly  I 
rode  on  quickly  until  out  of  sight,  when  I  immediately 
faced  round,  and  having  reached  the  foot  of  the  rock 


STORIES  OF  LEOPARDS.  165 

alluded  to,  I  dashed  boldly  on  the  panther.  He  heard 
me  coming,  and  I  was  only  just  in  time  to  catch  sight 
of  his  hind-quarters  as  he  disappeared  round  the  very 
stone  that  had  hitherto  concealed  me"  from  view.  Being 
a  tolerably  good  snap-shot  I  might  perhaps  have  given 
a  good  account  of  his  seat  of  honor,  but  fortunately  my 
eagerness  did  not  outrun  my  discretion  at  this  critical 
moment,  and  I  forbore  to  fire.  And  right  glad  was  I, 
after  reflection,  at  having  refrained  ;  for  though  a  well- 
directed  shot  at  his  head  might  have  killed  or  blinded 
him,  a  charge  of  dust  shot  in  his  breech  could  only 
have  served  to  exasperate  the  xbrute,  and  would  have 
made  the  issue  at  least  doubtful. 

There  were  several  native  villages  close  to  the  knolls 
in  question,  and  as  I  passed  them  on  my  way  home  I 
warned  the  inhabitants  of  the  danger ;  but  either  they 
cared  not  or  they  had  not  the  means  to  avert  it,  for  the 
next  morning,  having  occasion  to  go  by  some  of  the 
vverfts,  I  found  that  the  leopard  spoken  of  had  played 
sad  havoc  in  one  of  their  sheep-folds,  having  remorse 
lessly  killed  several  of  its  inmates,  besides  wounding 
many  others. 

The  temerity  of  the  leopard  is  sometimes  almost 
incredible.  I  remember  an  instance  in  point  which 
occurred  during  my  stay  at  Otjimbingue.  A  Damara 
who  was  herding  my  cattle  came  one  morning  to  tell 
me  that  a  leopard  had  entered  one  of  the  huts  on  his 
werft,  occupied  by  a  young  woman,  during  the  night, 
and  there  remained  till  daylight.  On  finding  herself 
thus  unexpectedly  visited— the  man  went  on  to  say— she 
gave  the  alarm,  and  on  hearing  the  voices  and  steps  of 
her  friends  approaching,  the  girl  made  a  rush  for  the 


1 66  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

door  and  gained  the  open  air  unmolested.  The  peo 
ple,  however,  would  not  believe  it  possible  that  there 
had  been  such  an  animal  as  she  described  in  the  hut, 
and  much  less  that  it  could  still  be  there  :  it  was  merely 
her  fancy,  they  laughingly  remarked— a  dream  in  short. 
But  the  woman  stuck  to  her  tale,  and  insisted  upon  the 
leopard  still  occupying  the  hut ;  and  though  they 
refused  to  credit  her,  not  one  would  enter  the  hovel  to 
disprove  or  verify  the  assertion  by  ocular  demonstra 
tion.  It  had  the  effect,  however,  of  keeping  the  natives 
awake  for  the  remainder  of  the  night,  and  just  as  day 
was  breaking  they  observed,  to  their  surprise,  a  full- 
grown  leopard  quietly  emerge  from  the  hut  in  question, 
and  make  for  the  adjoining  rocks  ! 

The  secret  was  now  soon  explained,  for  it  appears 
that  the  object  of  the  brute's  visit  to  the  hut  had  been 
a  dog  which  had  taken  refuge  there,  and  which  he  had 
at  once  killed,  remaining  unconcernedly  to  feast  upon 
the  carcass  until  gorged  or  scared  away  by  the  return 
of  day. 

A  somewhat  similar  story  is  told  by  Delegorgue, 
the  African  traveller : 

"  Seeing  a  crowd  of  people  of  both  sexes  in  earnest 
conversation,  and  gesticulating  violently,"  he  writes, 
"  I  went  up  to  them  to  inquire  the  cause  of  their  ex 
citement  ;  but  before  they  had  time  to  reply  I  noticed, 
extended  on  the  ground  and  attached  by  the  four  legs 
to  a  stout  pole,  a  long  and  slender  panther,  over  the 
head  of  which  was  thrown  a  our-gobo.  She  was  quite 
dead ;  the  blood  still  flowed  from  numerous  wounds. 
This  is  what  I  learned  : 

"  The  preceding  night,  between  eleven  and  twelve, 


AUDACITY   OF   THE    LEOPARD.  167 

when  every  one  slept,  three  living  beings  reposed  in  a 
cabin,  wherein  was  a  half-extinguished  fire.  A  woman 
and  her  child  occupied  the  inner  end  of  the  left  side  of 
the  building ;  a  dog  the  outer  end  to  the  right.  The 
panther,  who  incessantly  prowls  about  during  the  night, 
had  from  a  distance  scented  the  dog,  and,  creeping 
forward  on  her  belly,  placed  her  nose  to  the  aperture  ; 
up  to  this  time  there  had  been  no  noise.  For  an 
instant  the  beast  hesitated  ;  but  the  victim  is  so  near. 
The  door  gives  way— the  dog  barks,  and  is  imme 
diately  torn  to  pieces. 

"  At  the  cries  of  the  woman,  who  could  not  escape 
by  the  door,  except  by  passing  the  dog  and  the 
panther,  whose  claws  and  fangs  constantly  opposed  her, 
a  number  of  armed  men  ran  to  the  spot — and  see  the 
singular  expedient  they  had  recourse  to.  The  door  is 
closed  and  securely  fastened.  Four  men  pass  their  our- 
kondas  through  interstices  in  the  door,  the  points  of 
their  weapons  crossing  in  like  manner  as  bayonets,  and 
thus  preventing  the  savage  animal  from  either  lifting 
up  or  opening  it.  These  men  remain  without,  each 
holding  a  second  assegai  in  his  right  hand  in  readiness 
for  any  emergency.  At  the  same  time  a  hole,  ten  to 
twelve  inches  in  diameter,  is  made  on  a  level  with  the 
ground,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  cabin,  to  facilitate 
which  operation  fires  were  lighted  round  and  about  the 
latter.  Presently  the  woman  and  her  child — both  half 
dead  with  fear — were  drawn  through  the  aperture  in 
question,  which  was  afterward  effectually  closed  with 
sticks,  mats,  etc.  The  dog  and  the  panther  now  alone 
remained  in  the  hut,  where  the  beast  was  heard  to 


1 63  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

bound  repeatedly  against  the  walls,  which  it  essayed  to 
tear  down  with  its  teeth. 

"  The  Amazoulous  turned  to  advantage  this  rage 
of  despair;  a  hundred,  two  hundred  our-kondas  were 
passed  through  the  sides  of  the  slightly  constructed 
hovel,  and  presently  their  sharp  and  cutting  points  con 
verged  about  the  furious  beast.  Sometimes  she  tore 
away  the  spears  with  her  claws,  at  others  seized  them 
with  her  teeth  ;  but  a  number  of  the  weapons  wounded 
her,  and  when,  frantic  and  roaring,  she  rushed  upon  the 
door,  to  which  she  was  naturally  attracted  by  the  light 
of  the  fires,  the  four  warriors  posted  there  riddled  the 
fore-part  of  her  body  with  their  assegais.  She  had 
already  received  more  than  a  hundred  wounds,  without 
counting  the  loss  of  her  eyes,  when  with  a  desperate 
bound  she  pierced  herself  to  the  heart. 

"  This  is  not  a  fabulous  relation  ;  I  myself  saw  the 
woman,  the  child,  the  panther,  and  the  weapons  used  to 
destroy  it.  I  have  inspected  the  bloody  arena;  and  I 
have  moreover  brought  away  the  skin  and  the  head  of 
the  animal  in  remembrance  of  the  event,  and  of  the 
presence  of  mind  of  the  Maputa." 

Again  :  "  The  leopard,  when  famished  with  hun- 
ger,"  writes  Gordon  Gumming,  "  is  exceedingly  auda 
cious.  The  night  was  pitch  dark,  so  that  nothing  could 
be  seen  ;  but  Molleyon  told  me  that  a  lion  and  a  leop 
ard  were  prowling  round  us,  endeavoring  to  obtain  the 
venison  of  the  zebras,  which  hung  in  festoons  in  the 
trees  beside  us,  and  next  moment  I  heard  the  voices 
of  both,  the  lion  roaring  and  the  leopard  shrieking 
wildly  as  they  sprang  after  the  dogs.  At  length  their 
boldness  increased  ;  the  lion  chased  the  dogs  with  angry 


LEOPARD    HUNT.  169 

growls  within  twenty  yards  of  where  we  stood,  and 
the  leopard  actually  sprang  into  the  centre  of  my  larder 
beside  the  fire,  and  was  making  off  with  a  large  frag 
ment  of  ribs,  when  the  dogs  went  gallantly  at  him.  He 
turned  upon  them,  and  so  terribly  lacerated  two  that 
they  soon  afterward  died  of  their  wounds.  We  now 
snatched  up  large  flaming  brands  from  the  fire,  and, 
meeting  the  lion  as  he  advanced,  sent  them  flying  in  his 
face,  when  I  fancy  he  made  off.  I  feared  to  use  my 
rifle  lest  I  should  shoot  the  dogs.  The  horses  and  oxen, 
though  much  alarmed,  did  not  endeavor  to  break  loose, 
being  still  very  much  fatigued  from  the  hardships  they 
had  undergone." 

On  another  occasion,  Gordon  Gumming  tells  us, 
4<  A  panther  at  night  came  within  ten  yards  of  my  fire, 
and  killed  Craddock,  and  disabled  Wolf,  my  two  best 
elephant  dogs." 

The  chasse  of  the  leopard,  by  both  colonists  and 
natives,  is  commonly  conducted  on  foot,  the  hunters 
being  accompanied  by  dogs,  of  which  the  more  there 
are  the  better,  as  they  are  the  greatest  of  safeguards 
from  this  fierce  and  agile  beast  ;  and,  though  the  native 
fox-like  breed  are  awful-looking  creatures,  I  have  never 
found  any  others  equal  to  them  for  daring  or  per 
tinacity. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Otjimbingue,  should  the  leopard 
be  very  destructive  to  the  herds  and  sheepfolds,  the 
Damaras  at  times  turned  out  en  masse  to  hunt  him,  in 
which  case  he  seldom  escaped  with  life,  though  too 
frequently  at  the  cost  of  several  of  their  most  courage 
ous  and  best  dogs,  and  severe  wounds  and  bruises  to 
one  or  more  of  the  men  themselves.  A  leopard  on  such 
8 


IJO  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

occasions  has  been  known  to  cast  himself,  in  rapid  suc 
cession,  on  five  or  six  different  assailants,  severely 
wounding  each  and  all,  and  not  unfrequently  maiming 
some  for  life.  When  at  these  times,  I  would  here 
remark,  an  individual  is  attacked  by  the  creature  and 
cast  to  the  ground,  it  not  unfrequently  happens,  should 
the  opportunity  offer,  that  he  seizes  it  by  the  ears  ;  and, 
if  he  be  strong  and  agile,  holds  it  fast  until  his  compan 
ions  come  to  the  rescue  and  despatch  it,  which  they  are 
then  enabled  to  do  with  tolerable  ease  and  safety.  If  a 
gun  be  not  at  hand,  a  blow  with  a  knob-kicri  on  the 
nose  or  chest  will  prove  sufficient  to  put  it  hors  de  combat 
for  a  moment,  or,  it  may  be,  kill  it  outright.  Though 
the  leopard,-  as  said,  is  commonly  hunted  on  foot,  yet 
once  on  a  time,  as  what  follows  will  show,  the  creature 
is  pursued  on  horseback. 

"  After  partaking  of  some  refreshment,  having  just 
returned  from  an  elephant  hunt,"  says  Gordon  Gum 
ming,  "  I  saddled  up  two  steeds  and  rode  down  the 
bank  of  Ngatwani  with  the  Bushmen,  to  seek  for  any 
game  I  might  find.  After  riding  about  a  mile  along 
the  river's  green  bank,  I  suddenly  came  upon  an  old 
male  leopard  lying  under  the  shade  of  a  thorn  grove, 
and  panting  from  the  great  heat.  Although  I  was 
within  sixty  yards  of  him,  he  had  not  heard  the  horses' 
tread.  I  thought  he  was  a  lioness,  and,  dismounting, 
took  a  rest  in  my  saddle  on  the  old  gray,  and  sent  a 
bullet  into  him.  He  sprang  to  his  feet  and  ran  half 
way  down  the  river's  bank,  and  stood  to  look  about  him, 
when  1  sent  a  second  bullet  into  his  person,  and  he  dis 
appeared  over  the  bank.  The  ground  being  very  dan 
gerous  I  did  not  disturb  him  by  following  then,  but 


DOMESTICATION   OF  THE   LEOPARD.  I/ 1 

I  at  once  sent  Ruyter  to  camp  for  the  dogs.  Presently 
he  returned  with  Wolf  and  Boxer,  very  much  done  up 
with  the  sun.  1  rode  forward,  and  on  looking  over  the 
bank  the  leopard  sta'rted  up  and  'sneaked  off  alongside 
of  the  tall  reeds,  and  was  instantly  out  of  sight.  I  fired 
a  random. shot  from  the  saddle  to  encourage  the  dogs, 
and  shouted  to  them.  They,  however,  stood  looking 
stupidly  round,  and  would  not  take  up  his  scent  at  all. 
I  led  them  over  his  spoor  again  and  again,  but  to  no 
purpose  ;  the  dogs  seemed  quite  stupid,  and  yet  they 
were  Wolf  and  Boxer,  my  two  best.  At  length  I  gave 
it  up  as  a  lost  affair,  and  was  riding  down  the  river's 
bank  when  I  heard  Wolf  give  tongue  behind,  and  gal 
loping  back,  I  found  him  at  bay  with  the  leopard,  im 
mediately  beneath  where  I  had  fired  at  him.  He  was 
very  severely  wounded,  and  had  slipped  down  into  the 
river  bed  and  doubled  back,  whereby  he  had  thrown  / 
out  both  the  dogs  and  myself.  As  I  approached,  he 
flew  out  upon  Wolf  and  knocked  him  over,  and  then, 
running  up  the  bed  of  the  river,  he  took  shelter  in  a 
thick  bush.  \Volf,  however,  followed  him,  and  at  this 
moment  my  other  dogs  having  heard  the  shots,  came 
up  from  camp,  and  bayed  at  him  fiercely.  He  sprang 
out  upon  them,  and  then  crossed  the  river  bed,  taking 
shelter  beneath  some  large  tangled  roots  on  the  oppo 
site  bank.  As  he  crossed  the  river  I  put  a  third  bullet 
into  him,  firing  from  the  saddle,  and  as  soon  as  he  came 
to  bay  I  gave  him  a  fourth,  which  finished  him.  In  the 
conflict,  however,  the  unfortunate  Alert,  who  was  still 
going  on  three  legs,  with  his  breast  laid  bare  by  the 
first  waterbuch,  was  wounded  as  usual,  getting  his  face 
torn  open. 


1 72  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

The  leopard  is  not  unfrequently  taken  in  trup.s  of 
various  kinds.  Most  commonly,  however,  these  are 
constructed  of  large  stones  and  timber,  on  much  the 
same  principle  as  the  common  rat-trap.  On  the  beast 
being  thus  captured  by  the  Cape  Colonists,  notice  is 
usually  given  to  the  neighbors,  who  assemble  at  the 
spot,  when  the  creature  is  baited  by  all  the  curs  in  the 
vicinity,  in  order  to  train  them  to  meet  it  in  the  field  ; 
but  it  seldom  dies  without  first  killing  or  severely 
maiming  one  or  more  of  its  assailants. 

At  other  times,  we  are  told  by  Lichtenstein  :  "  The 
leopard  is  taken  by  hanging  a  piece  of  raw  flesh  upon  a 
bush,  in  the  midst  of  which  an  assegai  is  so  ingeniously 
fastened,  the  sharp  point  being  upward,  that  when  the 
panther  springs  at  the  meat  he  falls  upon  the  iron,  and 
is  struck  by  it  to  the  heart." 

Notwithstanding  the  naturally  savage  disposition  of 
the  leopard,  he  is  capable  of  being  domesticated  and 
tamed  when  captured  young  and  judiciously  managed, 
as  I  myself  can  testify,  having  reared  one  of  these 
animals.  It  is  true  that,  like  the  chetah,  or  hunting- 
leopard,  of  which  presently,  he  was  fond  of  a  fowl,  pig, 
or  puppy,  and  managed  to  snap  up  numbers  that  came 
feeding  or  gambolling  unsuspiciously  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  his  kennel,  when,  with  an  unerring  blow  of  his 
paw,  he  would  knock  his  unhappy  victim  down,  and 
the  next  moment  fasten  his  teeth  in  its  neck  with  the 
force  of  a  vice.  I  have  myself  stood  by  his  side  when 
an  unlucky  cur  came  within  his  reach,  and  nothing  but 
forcibly  separating  his  jaws  would  make  him  relinquish 
his  hold,  and  that  long  after  life  was  extinct  in  his 
prize.  Yet  he  was  very  tame,  allowing  any  one  almost 


THE   CHETAH.  173 

to  approach,  caress,  and  stroke  his  sleek  and  glossy 
sides,  and  enjoyed  very  much  a  romp  with  me  or  the 
full-grown  dogs,  some  of  which  seemed  to  relish  the  fun 
nearly  as  much  as  he  himself.  This  animal  found  its 
way  to  England,  and,  for  aught  I  know,  may  now  be 
an  inmate  of  that  interesting  collection  of  wild  beasts 
to  be  found  so  well  and  humanely  cared  for  in  the 
Zoological  Gardens,  Regent's  Park,  London. 

The  chetah,  or  hunting-leopard,  of  the  Cape  Colony 
(Felts  jubata),  which  Harris  tells  us  is  similar  in  appear 
ance  to  that  of  India,  is  about  the  size  of  a  greyhound. 
The  belly  and  inside  of  the  extremities  white,  the  rest 
pale  yellow  studded  with  small  black  spots,  larger  over 
the  back  and  on  the  outside  of  the  thighs.  As  with 
its  congener,  the  leopard,  it  confines  itself  chiefly  to 
mountainous  districts,  where  it  preys  on  the  rock- 
rabbit  and  such  of  the  antelopes  as  it  can  contrive  to 
circumvent ;  and  when  it  takes  up  its  abode  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  colonists  or  natives,  it  is  very  destruc 
tive  both  to  the  sheep-fold  and  the  hen-roost. 
Though  of  a  savage  and  intractable  nature,  the  chetah 
in  India  and  other  Eastern  countries  is  regularly 
trained  to  the  chase,  and  proves  a  valuable  ally  to  the 
sportsman.  Though  somewhat  out  of  place  in  these 
pages,  perhaps  what  follows,  showing  the  manner  in 
which  the  creature  acts,  may  not  be  altogether  with 
out  interest  to  the  reader. 

"  On  one  occasion."  says  Harris,  "  I  saw  three 
chetahs  in  the  field.  Coming  on  a  herd  of  antelopes, 
one  of  them  was  quickly  Ainhooded  and  loosed  from 
his  bonds.  As  soon  as  he  perceived  the  deer,  he 
dropped  quietly  off  the  cart  on  the  opposite  side  to 


NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

that  on  which  they  stood,  and  approached  them  at  a 
slow  crouching  canter,  masking  himself  at  every  bush 
and  irregularity  that  lay  in  his  way.  As  soon,  however, 
as  they  began  to  show  alarm  he  quickened  his  pace, 
and  was  in  the  midst  of  them  at  a  few  bounds.  He 
singled  out  a  doe  and  ran  it  close  for  about  two  hun 
dred  yards ;  when  he  reached  it  he,  with  a  single  blow 
of  his  paw  rolled  it  over,  and  in  an  instant  was  sucking 
the  life-blood  from  its  throat.  One  of  the  other  chetahs 
was  slipped  at  the  same  time,  but  after  four  or  five  des 
perate  bounds,  by  which  he  nearly  reached  his  prey,  he 
suddenly  gave  up  the  pursuit  and  came  growling  sulkily 
back  to  the  wagon.  On  these  occasions,  and  when  the 
deer  is  pulled  down,  a  keeper  runs  us,  hoods  the  chetah, 
cuts  the  victim's  throat,  and  securing  some  of  the  blood 
in  a  wooden  ladle,  thrusts  it  under  the  leopard's  nose. 
The  antelope  is  then  dragged  away,  while  the  chetah 
is  rewarded  with  a  leg  for  his  pains." 

My  own  experiences,  however,  as  to  the  teachable 
qualities  of  the  chetah,  are  altogether  at  variance  with 
those  generally  ascribed  to  it ;  and  I  had  a  good  oppor 
tunity  of  judging  of  the  nature  and  habits  of  the  animal, 
as  an  acquaintance  of  mine  brought  up  one  in  my  im 
mediate  vicinity,  than  which  a  fiercer  or  more  intracta 
ble  brute  never  came  under  my  notice.  Its  disposi 
tion,  in  fact,  was  the  very  opposite  to  that  of  the  leopard 
spoken  of  a  page  or  two  back.  But,  then,  it  is  not  of 
course  fair  to  judge  of  a  whole  species  by  a  single  individ 
ual.  Moreover,  the  animal  in  question  was  much  teased 
and  annoyed,  more  especially  by  the  natives,  whom  he 
learned  to  hate  with  the  most  deadly  hatred  ;  and,  unfor 
tunately,  several  children  were  bitten  by  him  in  a  fearful 


THE   WILD-CAT.  175 

manner,  one,  if  not  more  of  them,  dying  from  the 
wounds  it  inflicted.  But,  indeed,  with  the  exception 
of  myself  and  one  or  two  others,  not  a  European  dared 
to  approach  within  his  reach.  Kindness  and  gentle 
ness  had  no  effect  upon  this  fierce  brute,  and  it  was 
only  by  completely  cowing  his  nature  that  we  ventured 
to  interfere  with*  him.  Now  and  then  he  would  man 
age  to  break,  or  otherwise  free  himself,  from  his  bonds, 
when,  with  fearful  yells  and  imprecations,  the  terror- 
stricken  natives  would  be  seen  running  wildly  to  arid 
fro  in  search  of  shelter ;  but  I  never  remember  him 
doing  any  mischief  to  the  people  on  such  occasions. 
Woe,  however,  betide  any  smaller  animal,  such  as  a 
puppy,  a  pig,  or  a  fowl,  that  then  crossed  his  path. 
The  chetah  in  question  unfortunately  succeeded  one 
day  in  escaping,  never  to  be  recovered  ;  and  from  its 
fearlessness  of  man  and  local  knowledge  it  became  more 
destructive  to  the  hen-roost  and  the  sheep-fold  than 
one  in  its  wild  state  would  have  been. 

The  wild-cat  (Fe  Us  cat  us)  was  common  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Otjimbingue,  and  is  generally  distributed 
over  Damara  and  Great  Namaqua  Land,  and,  indeed, 
throughout  most  parts  of  Southern  Africa.  As  soon  as 
evening  sets  in,  or  even  before  darkness  has  enveloped 
nature  in  her  nightly  shroud,  a  harsh,  wild,  and  disa 
greeable  cry  often  greets  the  ear  of  the  wanderer,  and 
adds  greatly  to  the  dreariness  of  an  African  solitude ;  it 
is  that  of  the  wild-cat  calling  to  her  mate,  or  others  of 
her  congeners. 

There  is  probably  not  a  more  destructive  animal  to 
the  poultry-yard,  pigeon-house,  and  even  to  the  sheep- 
pen  (which  it  not  unfrequently  enters  for  the  purpose 


NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

of  killing  the  young  lambs  and  kids),  than  the  wild-cat. 
It  is  said  to  have  an  especial  relish  for  the  heads  of 
birds,  often  leaving  the  rest  of  the  body  untouched.  It 
sometimes  takes  up  its  quarters  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  man,  and  unless  quickly  dislodged  or 
killed,  will  prove  a  serious  evil  to  a  homestead.  I  re 
member  a  case  in  point.  One  of  my  servants  always 
kept  a  number  of  fowls,  which  were  generally  housed  in 
a  small  shed  abutting  on  his  cottage.  For  a  long  time 
great  depredations  were  committed  among  the  birds, 
and  knowing  the  thievish  propensities  of  the  natives, 
the  Damaras  were  generally  thought  to  be  the  culprits, 
though  never  detected.  One  night,  however,  hearing 
a  terrible  clucking  and  fluttering  of  wings  in  the  hen 
house,  the  man  hastily  dressed  himself,  and,  with  candle 
and  gun  in  hand,  rushed  into  the  shed.  The  first  sight 
that  met  him  was  the  headless  trunk  of  his  favorite 
cock,  quickly  followed  by  those  of  others,  and,  on  look 
ing  upward,  he  espied  to  his  surprise  a  huge  wild-cat 
perched  between  two  hens,  who  were  apparently  par 
alyzed  with  fear.  Delighted  at  having  at  last  discov 
ered  the  real  depredator,  and  having  an  opportunity 
of  punishing  the  wily,  persevering,  arid  daring  marauder, 
it  may  be  well  supposed  that  he  lost  no  time  in  giving 
him  his  quietus.  The  skin  now  graces  my  collection. 

The  wild-cat  is  an  exceedingly  fierce  and  spiteful 
animal,  and  will  not  unfrequently  turn  upon  his  pursu 
ers,  be  they  men  or  dogs,  when  hard  pressed.  St.  John, 
in  his  "  Highland  Sports,"  mentions  a  remarkable  in 
stance  of  the  beast's  courage,  ferocity,  and  tenacity  of 
life.  "  I  have  heard  many  stories,"  writes  this  author, 
"  of  their  attacking  and  severely  wounding  a  man  when 


AFRICAN    WILD-CATS.  I// 

their  escape  has  been  cut  off.  Indeed,  a  wild-cat  once 
flew  at  me  in  the  most  determined  manner.  I  was 
fishing  at  a  river  in  Sutherlandshire,  and,  in  passing 
from  one  pool  to  another,  had  to  climb  over  some  rock 
and  broken  kind  of  ground.  In  doing  so  I  sank  through 
some  rotten  heather  and  moss  up  to  my  knees,  almost 
upon  a  wild-cat,  who  was  concealed  under  it.  I  was 
quite  as  much  startled  as  the  animal  herself  could  be, 
when  I  saw  the  wild-looking  beast  rush  out  from  be 
tween  my  feet,  with  every  hair  on  her  body  standing  on 
end,  making  her  look  twice  as  large  as  she  really  was. 
I  had  three  small  Skye  terriers  with  me,  who  imme 
diately  gave  chase  and  pursued  her  till  she  took  refuge 
in  a  corner  of  the  rocks,  where,  perched  in  a  kind  of 
recess  out  of  reach  of  her  enemies,  she  stood  with  her 
hair  bristled,  and  spitting  and  growling  like  a  common 
cat.  Having  no  weapon  with  me,  I  laid  down  my  rod, 
cut  a  good  sized  stick,  and  proceeded  to  dislodge  her. 
As  soon  as  I  was  within  six  or  seven  feet  of  the  place, 
she  sprang  straight  at  my  face,  over  the  dogs'  heads. 
Had  I  not  struck  her  in  mid-air  as  she  leaped  at  me,  I 
should  probably  have  got  some  severe  wound.  As  it 
was,  she  fell  with  her  back  half  broken  among  the  dogs, 
who,  with  my  assistance,  despatched  her.  I  never  saw 
an  animal  fight  so  desperately,  or  one  which  was  so 
difficult  to  kill.  If  a  tame  cat  has  nine  lives,  a  wild-cat 
must  have  a  dozen."  ^ 

The  skin  of  the  African  wild-cat  is  probably  not 
equal  in  value  to  that  obtained  from  the  same  animal 
in  colder  parts  of  the  world.  Nevertheless,  the  fur  is 
soft  and  warm,  and  accordingly  the  skin  is  much  prized 
by  the  natives,  who  convert  it  into  carosses.  Very 
8* 


1 78  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

large  numbers  of  wild-cats  are  annually  destroyed  in 
Damaraland,  but  being  a  prolific  animal,  the  popula 
tion  scanty,  and  food  abundant,  it  does  not  appear  to 
decrease,  as  the  case  is  in  more  civilized  and  populous 
countries.  Like  the  domestic  cat,  it  produces  at  a 
litter  an  uncertain  number  of  kittens,  sometimes  only 
two  or  three,  at  others  double  the  nnmber. 

[The  Editor  would  here  remark  that  though  An- 
dersson  makes  no  mention  in  his  "  Notes  of  Travel " 
of  having  killed  large  game  at  this  period,  either  in  the 
vicinity  of  Otjimbingue  or  elsewhere,  it  would  appear 
from  a  letter  to  a  friend,  now  lying  before  me,  that, 
when  on  short  excursions  from  home,  he  met  with 
considerable  success  with  antelopes,  for  he  says:  "I 
have  lately  returned  from  a  short  shooting  excursion, 
during  which  I  saw  much  game,  but  shot  wretchedly. 
The  number  of  koodoos  (you  will  remember  the 
noble  creature  from  Wood's  beautiful  picture  in 
'Lake  N'gami')  that  I  met  with  almost  exceeds  belief. 
Some  of  the  scenes  that  I  witnessed,  strongly  re 
minded  me  of  a  well-stocked  deer-park  in  England. 
Thus  I  have  counted  upward  of  fifty  koodoos  in  a  two 
hours'  ride,  out  of  which  perhaps  there  no  were  less 
than  twenty  stags.  The  koodoo,  when  seen  in  its  native 
wilds,  is  truly  a  magnificent  beast.  But  notwithstand 
ing  my  vile  shooting,  I  carried  away  some  fine  heads, 
which  I  am  about  to  present  to  my  wife,  who  is 
clamorous  for  losses  sustained  ;  for,  you  must  know,  I 
was  compelled  to  part  with  my  former  very  handsome 
collection  of  heads  and  skulls  for  bread.  I  think  I  have 
already  told  you  I  can  ride  on  horseback  pretty  well ; 
the  only  drawback  is  the  shape  of  my  artificial  boot, 


ANDERSSON'S  LETTER.  179 

which  has  a  deep  hollow  between  heel  and  the  toe, 
into  which  the  stirrup  is  continually  slipping,  thus 
causing  me  to  lose  command  of  one  leg.  But,  not 
withstanding,  I  fairly  rode  down  a  gernsbok,  one  of  the 
fastest  of  African  antelopes,  the  other  day."] 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

Departure  of  elephant-hunters  for  Ondonga — Accident  to  Andersson — 
Departure  for  Ovampo  Land — Arrival  at  Jacongava — Omapjee — 
Wild  dogs  and  koodoo — Remarkable  flowers — Huge  srtake  killed — A 
gemsbok  shot — Wagon  stuck  fast  in  the  mud — Bushmen  come  to 
bivouac — Arrival  in  Ovampo  Land — Escape  of  Andersson's  people 
from  Samuel. 

\ 

BUT  it  is  high  time,  after  this  long  digression,  to 
return  to  my  little  narrative.  Latterly,  the 
elephant-hunters,  my  best  customers,  had  made  On 
donga,  as  the  residence  of  the  chief  of  Ovampo  Land 
was  called,  their  head-quarters,  it  being  a  convenient 
centre  from  whence  to  make  excursions  in  quest  of  the 
beasts  in  question.  As  a  further  inducement,  the  chief 
was  known  to  be  exceedingly  well  disposed  toward 
Europeans,  and  corn  and  vegetables  could  always  be 
obtained  there,  which  was  not  the  case  in  Damaraland, 
where,  indeed,  little  besides  cattle  was  procurable  from 
the  natives. 

Knowing  all  this,  and  that  the  overland  route  to 
the  Cape  was  unsafe,  and  that  there  was  now  no  longer 
a  field  for  the  adventurous  trader  at  Otjimbingue,  I 
determined  on  following  my  friends  to  Ondonga,  for 
which  market  I,  when  at  Cape  Town,  had  laid  in  a 
good  stock  of  suitable  goods.  But  just  as  I  was  on  the 
point  of  starting,  news  of  the  attack  of  the  Hottentots 
upon  the  Europeans,  as  mentioned  in  a  preceding  chap- 


ELEPHANT-HUNTERS.  l8l 

ter,  reached  me,  and  of  course  put  an  end,  for  the  time 
at  least,  to  my  projected  journey.  It  is  true  I  was  per 
haps  strong  enough  to  defend  myself  against  any  attack 
these  scoundrels  might  make  on  me  ;  but  I  should  have 
gained  little,  even  if  successful  in  beating  them  off. 
This  unexpected  delay,  coupled  with  the  trivial  amount 
of  barter  to  be  done  at  Otjimbingue,  left  much  time  on 
my  hands,  in  which  I  occasionally  absented  myself  for 
a  few  days  from  home,  the  better  to  enjoy  the  pleasure 
of  the  chase.  During  the  last  of  these  trips,  however, 
I  had  the  misfortune  to  fall  from  my  horse,  or,  rather, 
he  fell  on  me,  bruising  in  a  frightful  manner  my  still 
very  indifferently  cured  leg.  It  was  a  mercy,  indeed, 
that  the  leg  was  not  altogether  smashed  ;  as  it  was,  the 
accident  entirely  crippled  me  for  upward  of  a  month, 
and  caused  me  great  pain  for  a  long  time  afterward. 

This  very  long  and  compulsory  stay  at  Otjimbingue 
would,  as  may  be  supposed,  have  been  monotonous 
and  tedious  enough  had  it  not  been  for  my  literary 
labors— the  securing  of  specimens  of  Natural  History, 
and  in  improving  my  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  the 
birds  and  beasts  found  in  the  vicinity— which  occupa 
tion  enabled  me,  pleasantly  enough,  to  while  away 
many  an  idle  hour.  On  the  22d  of  September,  1866, 
however,  I  despatched  my  people  with  the  wagons  to 
Ondonga,  and  on  the  2Qth  of  December  of  the  same 
year  I  myself  set  off  for  the  same  destination. 

[With  the  exception  of  three  chapters  on  special 
subjects,  inserted  hereafter,  Andersson's  "  Notes  of 
Travel "  end  here,  and  the  only  account  we  have  of  his 
after  proceedings  is  to  be  gathered  from  his  journals, 
which  I  have  copied  all  but  verbatim;  but  these  (his 


1 82  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

journals)  seem  never  to  have  been  corrected,  even  in 
the  slightest  degree,  by  him,  since  they  were  written, 
which  will  account  for  any  little  discrepancy  or  ambi 
guity  that  may  be  found  therein.  And  though,  owing 
to  ill  health  and  his  disabled  state,  which  prevented 
Andersson  from  exerting  himself  or  enjoying  the  pleas 
ures  of  the  chase,  as  he  was  wont  *to  do  in  former  times, 
these  journals  may  not  contain  much  matter  to  interest 
the  general  reader,  still  it  is  to  be  hoped  their  contents 
will  prove  acceptable  not  only  to  the  naturalist  and  the 
sportsman,  but  also  to  the  future  traveller  in  Ovampo 
and  Damara  Land,  as  showing  the  manifold  difficulties 
he  will  probably  have  to  encounter,  and  the  risks  he  will 
run  from  the  insalubrity  of  the  climate,  etc. — Editor.~\ 

JOURNAL. — Journey  from  Otjimbingue  to  Ondonga. 

"  Saturday,  2yth  December. — Effected  with  great 
difficulty  a  start  from  Otjimbingue  a  little  before  noon, 
and  reached  Omarun  all  right  after  about  four  hours' 

steady  travelling.  Mr.  K and  the  '  trek  oxen,' 

though  poor,  answered  well  enough  ;  however,  the  only 
real  good  front  ox  that  we  have  the  herd  managed  to 
lose  last  night.  The  Damara  sent  in  search  of  the 
animal  returned  without  it  ;  must  start  him  off  again 
to-morrow.  The  country  begins  to  look  most  cheerful ; 
everything  is  green.  How  different  from  my  last  visit 
to  these  parts!  I  do  love  it  during  the  rainy  season  ; 
one  feels,  and  really  gets  new  life.  The  weather  is 
pleasantly  cool,  even  slightly  chilly  during  the  night. 

"  Sunday,  ^oth  December. — Left  bivouac  at  an  early 
hour ;  reached  Jacongava  after  about  three  and  a  half 


JOURNAL.  183 

hours'  travel.  Shot  a  fine  specimen  of  Agtlioracicies, 
but  did  not  get  a  sight  of  nest.  January,  Hans,  Abra 
ham,  and  Kamapge  joined  us  in  the  afternoon,  but  went 
away  again,  intending  to  be  with  us  in  earnest  to-mor 
row,  except  the  first- named,  who  will  go  ahead  with  a 
view  of  collecting  the  people,  and  slaughter  things. 

"Monday,  ^ist  -December.  —  Left  Jacongava  at 
3.15  P.M.;  bivouacked  at  5.55,  under  'Sugar  Loaf 
Peak,'  which  I  took  it  into  my  head  to  ascend,  a  height 
(and  many  parts  quite  perpendicular)  of  not  less  than 
from  1,200  to  1,500  feet  above  the  plain.  Prodigious 
exertion,  considering  my  crippled  condition.  But  the 
sight  one  gets  from  the  top  of  this  lofty  hill  is  worthy 
of  some  trouble  and  pains.  In  fact,  Damaraland,  at 
least  this  portion  of  it,  here  lies  like  a  map  spread  out 
at  one's  feet.  It  affords  unquestionably  the  best  view 
of  the  country  of  all  the  numerous  hills  that  I  have  as 
cended.  Unfortunately  I  had  not  time  enough  to  con 
template  the  fine  prospect  at  my  leisure,  as  I  had  nu 
merous  bearings  to  take.  The  afternoon,  however,  was 
lovely,  and  though  the  descent  was  troublesome  and 
painful,  I  enjoyed,  on  the  whole,  my  trip  very  much.  I 
trust  only  I  shall  not  feel  the  effects  to-morrow. 

"  Tuesday,  \st  January. — In  a  few  months  I  shall 
have  passed  my  fortieth  year.  Forty  years!  an 
ordinary  lifetime;  and  what  have  I  done?  A  bank 
rupt  in  purse  and  health ;  and  as  to  what  I  have  per 
formed,  it  is  apparently  very  little  ;  and  yet  I  have 
worked  desperately  hard,  setting  danger,  fatigue,  pain, 
and  troubles  at  nought.  God  help  me,  poor  fellow ! 
But  regrets  are  vain,  and  I  ought  not  to  indulge  in 
them.  Let  me  try  and  make  the  most  of  the,  few 


1 84  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

years  left  to  me  here  on  earth,  should  it  please  God  to 
spare  me.  Could  but  peace  and  quiet  be  obtained  for 
this  unhappy  land  I  might  yet  do  well,  and  leave  my 
wife  and  children  provided  for.  I  long  to  be  settled  in 
this  land,  in  order  that  I  may  ascertain  what  can  be 
made  of  Omappi  and  Oronge*  I  don't  half  like  to 
leave  for  the  Cape  until  I  get  some  one  to  occupy  both 
places.  I  ought  to  have  a  garden  as  well  as  corn  land 
ready  ere  many  months  are  passed.  I,  moreover,  want 
to  leave  the  trees  at  Omappi.  A  kraal  ought  to  be 
constructed  for  strangers,  that  they  may  not  pitch  their 
'  tents  '  at  random,  and  thus  wantonly  cut  down  the 
bush.  Left  bivouac  at  8.40  ;  reached  Katondeka  at 
9.50.  Road  very  stony;  abundance  of  water  in  lime 
stone  pits.  Omatake  can  be  seen  from  here  (Troch., 
17,  loj).  Off  again  at  3.25  ;  came  to  a  vley  at  5.20 
(Troch.,  79  92).  This  place  must  hold  water  for  many 
months  after  the  rains  have  ceased.  Off  a  third  time 
at  6.40.  Bivouacked  at  7.40 ;  but  this  must  be  an 
error,  as  we  have  been  at  least  an  hour  and  a  half  on 
the  road.  Travelled  well.  Feel  very  poorly. 

"  Wednesday,  2d  January. — Left  bivouac  at  6.5. 
Came  to  a  pit  in  a  small  river  at  7.40,  called  Otjovar- 
gande.  Delayed  here  about  twenty  minutes,  after 
which  we  journeyed  on  till  9.15.  Travelled  well; 
country  bushy  and  stony,  and  road  consequently 
circuitous.  Off  again  at  10.30.  Did  not  reach  Kat- 
jongo  (Otjakatjongo)  till  l.io  P.  M.  Off  again  at  4.5. 
Bivouacked  at  6.35.  '  Veldt '  very  dry  hereabouts  :  the 
rain  has  as  yet  been  very  partial.  Some  men  came  up 

*  Two  small  properties  lately  presented  toAndersson  by  the  Damara 
chief,  of  which  we  shall  have  more  to  say  presently. — ED. 


OMAPPI   AND   ORONGE.  185 

« 

with    ostrich    feathers ;    obtained    about    a    pound    in 
barter,  which  is  an  unexpected  windfall. 

"  Thursday,  ^d  January.  —  Left  bivouac  6.22  ; 
reached  Omappi  at  9.22.  Travelled  rather  slowly  ; 
country  somewhat  dry  hereabouts,  but  the  small  rjvers 
in  the  neighborhood  have  rain.  Set  about  making  a 
*  stranger's  kraal '  without  delay  ;  have  selected  a  spot 
a  little  below  the  fountain,  and  near  a  pit  of  water 
which  is  never  dry. 

<!  Friday,  4//z  January. — Desperately  hot ;  it  is 
evident  we  shall  have  a  change  with  the  new  moon, 
perhaps  to-night.  Broke  ground  near  the  fountain 
with  a  view  of  testing  how  far  one  •  can  grow  corn 
without  irrigation.  I  don't  see  why  the  experiment 
should  not  succeed  during  the  rainy  season.  Kamoja 
and  Jacob  returned  late  in  the  afternoon  ;  the  former 
had  killed  a  koodoo  and  wounded  a  giraffe. 

"  Saturday  1  ^th  January. — A  slight  rain  fell  last 
evening,  as  I  had  fully  anticipated,  and  this  afternoon 
it  came  down  in  torrents  for  about  three  hours.  I  am 
so  glad  we  had  comfortably  finished  the  sowing  and 
planting ;  and  if  corn  can  really  be  grown  without  irri 
gation,  it  will  now  have  a  fair  chance.  We  have  let  a 
stream  of  water  into  the  enclosure  from  the  fountain  ; 
but  after  the  rain  had  ceased  I  caused  it  to  be  diverted 
to  its  original  source.  I  feel  half  inclined  to  leave  a 
man  or  two  behind,  and  yet  have  no  one  to  be  trusted 
that  I  could  possibly  spare. 

"  Sunday,  6th  January. — Little  or  no  rain  fell  during 
the  night,  though  it  looked  threatening.  To-day  also 
the  sky  looks  lowering.  Kamoja  brought  in  a  portion 


1 86  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

of  the  koodoo  he  had  shot  on  the  4th  ;  but  I  fear  it  will 
spoil  in  this  unpropitious  weather. 

"  While  reading  the  Bible,  I  was  suddenly  startled  by 
loud  shouts  of  '  Gun !  gun  ! '  coming  evidently  from 
Jacob, -who  was  washing  clothes  at  the  fountain.  The 
Damaras  at  once  set  off,  and  while  looking  around  try 
ing  to  account  for  so  extraordinary  an  alarm,  I  espied, 
to  my  utter  astonishment,  within  less  than  a  hundred 
paces  of  me,  a  koodoo  chased  by  two  wild  dogs,  who 
were  in  such  close  pursuit  as  to  jeopardize  momentarily 
the  poor  creature's  life.  John  endeavored  to  cut  off  the 
animal,  but  the  dog  *  Snook '  had  just  caught  sight  of 
and  was  ranging  alongside  of  it,  which  prevented  the 
man  from  firing.  Thus  chased,  the  koodoo  described  a 
perfect  circle  round  the  wagons,  followed  not  only  by 
my  own  dog,  but  the  *  wilde  hundej  which  fearlessly 
pushed  on  right  through  the  people.  Shouting  at  the 
top  of  my  voice,  I  drew  the  attention  of  the  gunners 
to  the  whereabouts  of  the  quarry,  which  was  at  last 
successfully  turned  and  shot  within  one  hundred  yards 
of  us.  It  was  a  fine  full-grown  cow,  and  we  were  now, 
therefore,  well  off  for  meat.  I  had  the  carcass  conveyed 
to  the  wagon  for  inspection  and  measurement. 

"  Monday,  *jth  January. — Set  all  my  people  to  work 
in  clearing  out  the  '  vley  '  above  the  fountain,  and,  as 
the  colonial  men  arrived,  they  severally  and  jointly,  of 
their  own  accord,  assisted  in  the  operation,  and  by  sun 
down,  therefore,  a  great  deal  had  been  effected.  But  I 
fear  it  will  take  a  month  to  clear  out  the  place  thor 
oughly,  it  being  filled  up  with  such  a  mass  of  dung,  clay, 
and  stones.  The  most  remarkable  feature  is  the  qual 
ity  of  the  latter,  thrown  in  apparently  purposely.  I 


SINGULAR  FLOWER.  l8/ 

have  lately  discovered  two  deep  water  holes  in  the  very 
top  of  the  rock,  and  as  they  seem  to  me  higher  than 
the  general  level  of  the  '  vley,'  I  doubt  not  but  that 
they  may  be  made  subservient  to  the  filling  the  same. 
I  foresee  the  usefulness  of  this  piece  of  water,  if  it  were 
thoroughly  cleared  and  filled.  In  the  course  of  time  I 
hope  to  see  it,  or  rather  the  sides,  covered  with  vegeta 
tion,  and  perhaps  may  live  to  see  the  children  scull  a 
boat  on  it.  Cloudy  atmosphere.  A  tremendous  flight 
of  locusts  passed  like  a  searching  fire  within  view  of 
the  place.  It  sickens  the  heart,  such  devastating  and 
harassing  sights. 

"  Tuesday,  $th  January. — Sent  Hans  and  Kamoja 
out  in  search  of  game.  The  former  brought  in  a  stem- 
bok  only ;  Kamoja  ditto.  Have  done  another  good 
day's  work  at  the  *  vley.'  Rather  hot.  In  the  evening 
talked  to  the  colonial  men  about  their  wishes  as  regards 

o 

my  place  on  the  Omarim  river.  Set  before  them  my 
conditions,  to  which  they  did  not  seem  to  object.  The 
corn  is  appearing  above  ground.  Have  strengthened 
the  fence.  Did  a  little  more  to  the  '  vley,'  which 
begins  to  show  the  effect  of  our  efforts  ;  still  it  will  take 
another  month  to  get  it  quite  clear. 

"  Wednesday,  gth  January.— -Left  Omappi  at  1.25  ; 
bivouacked  at  6.20,  perhaps  fifteen  to  twenty  minutes 
delay.  '  Veldt '  beautiful,  and  much  superior  to  any 
thing  we  have  yet  seen.  It  has  evidently  rained  heavily 
in  these  parts. 

"  Thursday,  \Qth  January. — Started  from  our  bivouac 
at  11.35;  reached  Omavuram  exactly  after  an  hour's 
travel.  Held  on  till  3  P.  M.,  when  we  halted  a  short 
time.  Observed  in  our  progress  a  most  singular  flower, 


1 88  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

resembling  a  Ncileca.  The  flower  itself  was  very  plain, 
but  surrounded  by  a  very  pretty  curled  fringe  of  a  yel 
low  color.  I  wish  I  were  as  much  a  botanist  as  a  zoo 
logist,  and  I  doubt  not  my  present  journey  would  yield 
me  a  rich  harvest.  This  valley  looks  rich.  Off  again 
at  4.10.  Reached  Epako  at  5  (here  Troch.  stands  at 
95,  23$).  Sky  rainy-looking.  All  the  hunters  unsuccess 
ful  ;  Hans  wounded  a  gemsbok.  Saw  some  giraffes. 

"Friday,  \\t1i  January. — Showery  during  the  night 
and  the  day  looks  lowering.  Hans  killed  a  gemsbok  as 
we  travelled  along.  Left  Epako  at  8  ;  stopped  at  9.15 
to  cut  up  gemsbok.  Reached  Otjim  at  12  (Troch.,  69, 
22-J-).  Delay  about  forty  minutes.  Damara  werfts 
here.  Heavy  rains  all  round.  Fancy  I  have  found  a 
new  species  of  lark,  which  has  a  very  pleasant  call-note, 
and  secured  a  few. 

"  Saturday,  \2th  January. — Left  Otjim  at  4.10  P.  M. 
Reached  Otuiova  (made  memorable  to  me  years  ago  by 
the  loss  of  a  horse)  at  8.5.  Nearly  half  an  hour's  delay 
(Troch.,  40,  49  J).  Plenty  of  water,  in  fact,  the  river  is 
running  slightly.  Observed  a  most  magnificent  creeper, 
with  a  leaf  to  match,  being  many  inches  in  diameter 
each  way,  and  of  a  whitish  hue  beneath.  The  flower  is 
lilac  and  puce,  approaching  to  crimson  in  the  corolla. 
Collected  a  number  of  bulbs  as. we  came  along;  I  wish 
I  had  a  garden  to  plant  them  in  at  once.  Pity  I  don't 
know  anything  of  botany,  as  I  might  enjoy  myself  very 
much  with  the  flora  of  the  country,  which  seems  rather 
rich.  Of  birds  and  birds'-nests  I  can  see  none,  which  is 
singular,  as  the  country  appears  most  favorable.  I  never 
saw  a  prettier  place  than  that  we  have  just  left.  Off 
again  at  9.  Came  to  a  sudden  halt  at  10.40  in  conse- 


A   SNAKE   KILLED.  189 

quence  of  a  heavy  shower  of  rain.  I  am  disappointed, 
wishing  to  have  slept  and  spent  the  Sunday  at  the  next 
regular  watering-place.  Ascended  a  small  granite  'Kopy] 
or  rocky  eminence,  in  the  neighborhood,  where  I  ob 
served  a  new  bird. 

"Sunday,  i^th  January. — It  being  Sunday,  and  the 
sky  threatening  more  rain,  we  stay  here  for  to-day. 
Obtained  several  birds'-nests  ;  but  it  is  getting  late, 
most  birds  having  young,  or  the  eggs  are  hard  sat  on. 
Heavy  rains  in  the  afternoon.  The  country  is  pretty 
hereabouts,  being  diversified  by  round  granite  '  kopies/ 
and  bowlders. 

"  Monday,  \^th  January. — Left  bivouac  at  6.5. 
Reached  Kothongonika  at  10.35  5  quite  forty  minutes 
delay.  Road  pretty  fair  (Troch.,  90,  19^-).  Pits  here 
deep,  but  they  are  nearly  all  in  disuse.  The  small 
river  that  passes  this  place  is  said  to  find  its  way  to 
Ongoo-ona ;  it  may  probably  take  its  rise  a  little  east 
of  the  range  of  hills  seen  to  the  eastward.  As  the 
cattle  did  not  return  till  late,  we  bivouacked  here. 
People  out  in  search  of  game,  but  found  nothing. 

"  Tuesday,  i$th  January. — Left  Kothongonika  at 
5.40.  Came  to  a  halt  at  9.35  (Troch.,  55,  99^),  at  a 
small  water  course,  the  first  we  met  with  this  morning. 
Country  fine,  but  monotonous.  The  usual  vegetation, 
acacia,  much  mingled  with  thornless,  large-leaved 
trees.  Omara  and  some  other  conspicuous  hills  are 
seen  very  clearly  from  this  spot.  Even  Okonyenja  was 
visible  a  short  time  before  we  halted.  Killed  a  huge 
snake,  seven  feet  ten  inches  long,  said  to  be  poisonour>. 
Off  again  at  1 1  A.  M.  Reached  Otjikongo  at  3.30 ; 
perhaps  ten  minutes'  delay.  Part  of  road  heavy 


190  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

(Troch.,  14,  83^).  Found  a  large  number  of  Berg- 
Damaras,  and  spoke  to  them  of  the  passing  of  the 
wagons  of  white  men,  and  also  as  to  their  camping 
near  to  Samuel,  which  they  deny,  but  say  they  have 
heard  the  Bushmen  ahead  were  in  the  habit  of  doing 
so.  I  am  determined  to  put  a  stop  to  this;  kindness 
has  evidently  no  effect  on  these  ungrateful  creatures. 
A  slight  shower  of  rain,  and  more  evidently  to  be 
expected. 

"  Wednesday,  \6t/i  January. — Went  to  the  top  of  a 
neighboring  *  kopy,'  where  I  had  a  fine  view  of  most  of 
the  surrounding  country;  can  even  make  out  the  west 
extremity  of  Omuvereredo  and  Omatako.  Men  out 
hunting  ;  but  just  now  there  is  no  game  in  this  neigh 
borhood.  Left  Otjukango  at  2.20  P.  M.  Bivouacked 
at  7.40.  Travelled  steadily:  no  water,  but  met  with 
several  places  that  after  good  rains  would  hold  the 
precious  liquid.  The  sky  looks  threatening,  and  rain 
has  fallen  this  afternoon  some  distance  ahead. 

•' Thursday,  ijth  January. — Left  bivouac  at  6.35. 
Reached  Kotjorongonde  at  10.45  (Troch.  25,  42 J). 
Travelled  steadily.  Mounted  my  horse  in  hopes  of 
getting  a  shot — was  not  disappointed  ;  but  fairly 
missed  a  stag  hartebeest  with  both  barrels.  My 
people,  with  one  exception,  were  equally  unfortunate  ; 
Kamapge,  however,  knocked  over  a  gemsbok  and 
badly  wounded  a  quagga.  Saw  much  game,  harte- 
beests,  gemsboks,  zebras,  etc.  Very  unwell.  Fear 
this  ride  has  done  me  harm. 

"  Heavy  rains  during  the  night ;  I  am  sorry  for  my 
poor  people,  and  would  give  them  my  last  coat  and 
shirt  were  there  fewer  that  stood  in  need  of  covering, 


TORRENTS   OF   RAIN.  19! 

and  if  I  was  certain  of  being  able  to  replace  the  articles 
in  this  country.  The  rain,  nevertheless,  comes  most 
opportunely,  as  I  hope  it  will  supply  us  with  water 
during  the  next  ordinarily  waterless  stage  of  twenty 
miles.  Many  Berg-Damaras  here.  January  tells  me 
he  has  heard  that  these  men  killed  more  than  one  of 
Mr.  Green's  trek-oxen,  and  that  he  passed  over  the 
offence  unpunished.  Can  hardly  believe  it,  as  it  would 
be  the  height  of  bad  policy  to  do  so  for  fear  of  a 
repetition  of  the  same. 

"  Picked  up  a  good  many  shells  *  this  morning,  but 
they  seem  to  me  only  one  or  two  kinds.  How  difficult 
they  are  to  find  !  It  is  of  no  use  to  follow  the  ordinary 
rule  for  their  detection.  The  only  time,  apparently, 
that  they  can  be  searched  for  with  any  likelihood  of 
success  is  after  a  shower  of  rain,  when  they  sometimes 
crawl  about.  Spent  a  very 'wretched  night,  and  this 
morning  I  am  very  ill — no  dieting  avails.  Stormy 
throughout  the  past  day,  and  the  night  looks  threat 
ening. 

"Friday,  \%th  January.  —  The  night,  somewhat 
contrary  to  expectation,  turned  out  fine,  and  I  was  in 
hopes  we  should  have  had  a  fine  morning,  but  we  were 
doomed  to  disappointment  ;  for  just  as  we  had  in- 
spanned  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents  and  continued 
unabated  for  about  an  hour-and-a-half.  Left  Kotjoron- 
gondi  at  6.5 — Came  to  a  halt  at  10.5  at  a  valley,  river 
running  parallel  between  the  low  range  on  our  right, 
and  the  larger  to  our  left.  It  must  have  its  source 

*  What  sort  of  shells  does  Andersson  speak  of  both  here  and  else- 
whjre  ?  Can  they  be  the  cowrie-shells  which  serve  as  coin  in  parts  of 
Africa  ?— ED. 


192  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

some  distance  off.  No  delay,  but  road  heavy  in  con 
sequence  of  the  rains  ;  also  winding.  Saw  hartebeestes 
and  ostriches,  and  tracks  of  at  least  half-a-dozen  lions. 
Off  again  at  12  ;  halted  for  the  night  at  2.10  at  a  small 
water  on  a  branch  of  the  aforesaid  Omurambe — the 
first  water  we  have  seen.  Ascended  a  small  '  kopy,' 
with  a  view  of  getting  bearings — saw  numerous  tracks 
of  koodoos  ;  one  of  the  men  observed  the  new  buck, 
but,  as  usual,  he  got  away  unharmed. 

"Saturday,  igth  January.— Left  bivouac  at  6.50; 
came  to  a  halt  at  10.55  (Troch.,  103,  62^).  No  delay- 
travelled  steadily,  but  slowly — not  quite  sure  of  the 
time  to  half-an-hour,  as  my  watch  once  stopped.  Road 
heavy  in  consequence  of  rains  during  the  past  night. 
Course  nearly  parallel  to  the  small,  low  ridge  we  crossed 
yesterday  afternoon.  Off  again  at  I  ;  came  to  a  halt 
at  3.50,  the  weather  looks  very  threatening, 

"Sunday,  2Otk  January.—  Heavy  rains  before  mid 
night  last  night ;  I  had  bivouacked  in  a  nasty  place,  the 
grass  and  other  vegetation  being  so  luxuriant  as  to 
render  moving  about  inconvenient.  It  must  have 
rained  early  in  these  parts.  The  soil  on  the  Omuramba 
we  have  been  following  is  black  as  pitch,  and  evidently 
very  rich— \yhat  would  I  not  give  for  an  acre  or  two  of 
it  at  Omappi  !  Left  bivouac  at  5.45.  Travelling  diffi 
cult  in  consequence  of  the  '  doorslagt '  (inundation)  ;  and 
as  we  approach  the  fountain  Naidaus,  the  wheels  of  the 
vehicle  not  unfrequently  sunk  to  the  naves,  and  if  we 
had  had  a  load  we  most  assuredly  should  have  stuck 
fast.  Road  open  till  within  less  than  an  hour  of  the' 
fountain,  which  we  reached  at  9.45  (Troch.,  241,  QSi)— 
.could  not  find  a  dry  spot  on  which  to  outspan.  It  nas 


TERRIBLE   THUNDERSTORM.  193 

rained  fearfully  here  lately ;  I  wish  we  were  safely 
away,  but  the  weather  continues  very  threatening- 
bagged  the  first  couple  of  ducks  I  have  seen  this  sea 
son,  and  dined  on  one  with  great  relish.  It  is  the  first 
meat  meal  I  have  tasted  for  many  days ;  but  I  fear  the 
consequences  of  such  an  indulgence. 

"  Monday,  2\st  January. — Left  Naidaus  at  6  A.  M., 
but  we  had  hardly  gone  twenty  minutes  before  we  stuck 
irretrievably  in  the  '  doorslagt ;  '  and,  while  trying  hard 
to  get  out,  the  rain  came  down  and  made  matters  still 
worse.  Two  hundred  or  three  hundred  yards  off  it 
seemed  to  be  a  little  drier,  and  there  I  sent  the  people 
and  the  cattle,  I  myself  remaining  with  the  wagon,  a 
prisoner  almost,  for,  excepting  getting  into  the  mud 
over  my  knees,  I  could  not  move.  Our  position  was 
very  awkward,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  for  should  it  rain 
during  the  night,  of  which  there  seemed  every  proba 
bility,  we  might  not  be  able  to  extricate  the  wagon  for 
days  to  come  ;  however,  it  is  not  the  first  time  my 
patience  has  been  tried.  The  herd  reported  having 
seen  and  called  to  two  Bushmen,  but  they  bolted.  I 
am  no*  anxious  for  myself  or  my  people,  but  seriously 
so  for  our  cattle ;  these  once  lost,  our  situation  would 
indeed  be  desperate.  It  is  seldom  that  one  can  recover 
them  from  such  expert  marauders,  as  they  have  a  way 
of  scattering  with  their  ill-gotten  booty  in  so  many 
directions  that  pursuit  becomes  almost  hopeless. 

"  Tuesday,  22d  January.—  A  terrible  thunderstorm 
passed  to  the  northward  of  us  at  dusk  last  evenino-.  I 

o 

watched  it  with  the  utmost    anxiety,  but    fortunately 
only    a    slight    shower    overtook  us;  and,  thank  God, 
after  a  few  hours'  exertion  we  got  the  wagon  out  safely, 
9 


IQ4  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

though  not  until  we  had  unloaded  everything,  but  even 
now  the  situation  of  our  camp  is  anything  but  satisfac 
tory.  It  is  true  we  are  on  hardish  ground,  but  within 
a  few  paces  of  us  it  is  so  saturated  with  wet  as  to  be  all 
but  impassable.  Two  Bushmen  made  their  appearance  ; 
spoke  to  them  about  their  relative  position  to  the  white 
men  and  Samuel.  In  reply  they  said  the  latter  was  no 
friend  of  theirs,  but  in  this  matter  I  won't  altogether 
take  their  word. 

"  Thousands  of  shells  about — how  difficult  to  find, 
but  when  once  discovered,  what  quantities  may  not  be 
secured!  I  cannot  satisfy  myself  that  there  are  more 
than  one  or  two  kinds  —  five  say.  At  one  time  it 
threatened  to  rain,  but  it  passed  away,  leaving  a  pretty 
serene  sky.  I  wonder  how  long  we  shall  be  stuck  here  ; 
the  Bushmen  declare  that  the  country  ahead  is  one  con 
tinuous  '  doorslagt  !  '  What's  to  be  done  ?  If  we  can 
not  get  on,  it  will  be  necessary  to  send  messengers  to 
Ondonga. 

"  Wednesday,  2^d  January. — Left  our  sticking  place 
at  12.55  — road  f°r  tne  ^rst  nour  or  two  very  bad,  as 
we  were  frequently  on  the  point  of  coming  to  anchor 
in  the  mud  ;  but  afterward  it  became  tolerable.  Un 
fortunately,  we  followed  Trompo's  direction,  and,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  went  all  wrong.  I  insisted  on  turn 
ing  right  in  toward  the  mountains,  and  had  sent  Abra 
ham  a-head  to  examine  the  road,  but  he  did  not  return 
till  the  mischief  was  done.  Bivouacked  at  7.5 — found  a 
guinea-fowl's  nest,  containing  no  fewer  than  fifteen 
eggs ;  Abraham  and  Ryker  killed  a  gemsbok. 

"  Thursday,  2^t/i  January. — Left  bivouac  at  5.30; 
got  to  Nondas  at  8.35.  This  is  the  place  Mr.  Hahn 


PICTURESQUE   SPOT.  195 

intends  to  make  a  missionary  station  for  the  Bushmen  ; 
and  it  certainly  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  spots  in 
Damaraland.  It  is  situated  on  a  splendid  grass  flat, 
surrounded  on  two  side's  by  distant 'mountains,  and  the 
pasturage  in  the  vicinity  is  illimitable  ;  but  as  a  take 
off,  the  water  lies  deep,  and  I  see  neither  garden 
ground  nor  wood.  Thousands  of  shells  in  the  neigh 
borhood  ;  one  seems  different  from  those  I  have 
already  met  with.  Off  again  at  1.45  ;  reached  a  water 
at  6.30.  Road  excessively  stony — my  inside  quite 
shaken  to  pieces.  We  bivouacked  near  the  spot,  and 
will  probably  pass  the  mountain  to-morrow. 

"  Friday,  2$th  January.  —  Left  bivouac  at  6.5  ; 
came  to  a  halt  at  10.43  m  the  bed  of  what  appeared  an 
*  Omurambe  '  No  water  here — perhaps  half-an-hour's 
delay,  having  lost  the  road.  Off  again  at  12.25. 
Reached  some  pits  at  3.30 ;  about  fifteen  minutes' 
delay.  At  this  place  Mr.  Green  once  killed  several 
elephants — a  strong  shooting  '  screen '  in  ruins  may 
still  be  seen.  Passed  to-day  a  spot  where  a  number  of 
Totties  (Hottentots)  had  evidently  encamped;  it  was 
probably  the  party  who  followed  up  my  wagons. 
Very  poorly — once  so  faint  as  hardly  to  be  able  to  hold 
up  my  head. 

"  Saturday,  26th  January. — Left  bivouac  (Korovi- 
car)  at  6— came  to  a  '  vley  '  at  9.15.  Fully  half-an- 
hour's  delay  in  cutting  a  road,  which,  moreover,  was 
very  circuitous.  Travelled  unusually  slow — we  are 
leaving  the  hills  fast  behind  us  ;  even  Otzikoto,  they 
say,  is  past ;  if  so,  I  and  Mr.  Galton  differ  widely  as  to 
its  position  ;  he  lays  it  down  much  farther  west 
than  I  do. 


196  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

"  Sunday,  2jth  January —\  find  I  have  lost  a  day ; 
it  should  be  Sunday,  not  Saturday — am  sorry  for  the 
blunder,  as  I  wished  to  have  passed  it  quietly.     As  it 
is,  we  must  get  to  a  regular  water  ;  off  again,  there 
fore,    at    12.5.     Reached    Evambo    at    3.  P.  M. — quite 
forty    minutes'  delay — road    very   stony   and    ziz-zag ; 
distance  to-day  (exclusive  of  delays),  five  hours — find 
my  dead   reckoning   comes  out   wonderfully  accurate. 
I  have  recognized  the  most  conspicuous  peaks  in  the 
Omanbonde  range,  which   was  carefully   fixed,   and   it 
has  proved  of  immense  service  to  me ;  ascended  a  tree, 
whence  I  obtained  a  splendid  view  of  the  mountains  we 
have  just  left  behind  us — can  perceive,  also,  some  low 
ranges  to  the  westward   in  the   direction   of  Sarskab. 
Water   boils    at    206   degrees  Therm,    in    the    shade ; 
shortly  after  our  arrival,  85,  height    above   sea,  3,085 
feet.     This  Evambo  resmbles  Otjkoto  on  a  large  scale, 
in  fact  it  must  be  a  little  lake  after  heavy  rains  ;  but  it 
has  only  the  roundness  of  its  form  in  common  with 
Otjkoto,  for  the  water  is  quite  shallow  and  the*  ground 
muddy ;  still    these    circular   spots   are    very  singular. 
How  are    they  formed  ?     I  can   only  conceive  by  the 
ground  falling  away  beneath  ;  in  other  words,  strong 
springs,  or  even  bodies  of  water,  undermine  the  locali 
ties,  but  the  former  still  remain  to  be  accounted  for. 

"Monday,  2%th  January. — Left  Evambo  at  1.18— 
reached  Kajothononutyi  at  10.10.  Travelled  famously, 
and  the  road  was  very  good  and  not  so  circuitous  as 
usual.  Part  of  country  very  fine  ;  but  almost  devoid 
of  animal  life — a  bird  is  truly  a  rara  avis.  Off  again  at 
1.15  ;  after  three  hours'  travel  came  to  a  pit,  with  about 
a  northern  course ;  hence,  very  westerly,  quite  north- 


GREAT   ONAMOTONI.  197 

west,  I  fancy — road  execrable  at  the  beginning,  stony, 
bushy,  and  *  doorslagt.'  It  had  rained  heavily  in  one 
locality.  Large  park-like  tracts  of  omutali  trees — 
bivouacked  at  6.25.  By  climbing  a  tree  I  could  just 
catch  a  last  glimpse  of  post  range,  the  last  landmark 
hence  to  Ondonga — raining  to  the  westward  and 
southward. 

"  Tuesday,  2gtk  January. — Left  bivouac  at  5.20  A.  M. 
—reached  Little  Onamotoni  at  9.45,  quite  twenty 
minutes'  delay — road  winding  ;  but  though  it  passes 
through  a  very  woody  part,  pretty  well  cleared  of 
bushes,  we  clear  away  the  last  remnants  of  obstruc 
tions.  By  climbing  a  tree  I  can  just  make  out  Onon- 
dova  flat,  and  the  east  extremity  of  Etoska.  Another 
short  half-hour's  travel  brought  us  to  Great  Onamotoni, 
the  fountain  passed  by  myself  and  Galton  on  our  jour 
ney  to  Ondonga,  now  some  sixteen  years  ago. 

"  What  a  noble  place  it  is — fine  open  view  toward 
Onondova.  After  very  heavy  rains  the  whole  flat  must, 
I  fancy,  be  one  immense  sheet  of  water.  I  think  I  can 
detect  large  patches  of  it  now  ;  herds  of  wildebeest  in 
view;  the  men  missed  the  fine  bull.  I  understand  that 
the  road  here  takes  a  great  sweep  to  the  eastward. 
We  had  not  been  long  outspanned  before  a  terrific  rain- 
and-hail  storm  came  on — I  am  so  glad  we  have  got  thus 
far,  as  such  torrents  could  not  help  converting  many  of 
the  flats  that  we  have  passed  into  one  immense  *  door 
slagt.'  At  dusk  Kamapge  killed  a  bull  wildebeest ;  a 
most  opportune  reinforcement  to  our  exhausted  larder. 

"  Wednesday,  $oth  January.— The  water  had  much 
increased  this  morning  on  the  flat  ;  in  fact,  it  appeared 
to  me  to  be  steadily  advancing.  Found  some  new 


198  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

shells  after  a  very  diligent  search.  In  the  afternoon  it 
came  on  to  rain  heavily,  and  the  night  threatens  to  be 
dirty. 

"  Thursday.  ^\st  January. — Raining  nearly  through 
out  the  night,  and  continued  this  morning  till  near  noon, 
when  it  cleared  a  little.  Some  Bushmen  were  here  yes 
terday  who  informed  us  that  Chykongo  (the  chief  of 
the  Ovampos)  has  sent  a  number  of  his  men  to  attack 
Samuel,  five  of  whose  men  have  been  to  Ondonga  at 
the  command  of  Chykonga,  who  called  them  there 
with  a  view  of  instituting  inquiry  regarding  their  vil 
lainous  dealings  with  white  men.  The  Bushmen  further 
told  us  that  the  Ovampo  have  orders  to  try  and  kill 
Samuel  if  they  don't  find  his  '  werft '  too  strong.  I  do 
hope  Chykongo  will  earnestly  exert  himself  to  get  the 
fellow  out  of  the  way.  It  would  be  foolish  to  try  to 
make  peace  with  such  a  faithless  set ;  nothing  short  of 
an  utter  extermination  will  ever  give  us  peace  and 
quiet  in  that  quarter.  Cattle  and  men  driven  half  fran 
tic  with  mosquitoes  and  a  species  of  gad-fly  which  liter 
ally  swarm  about  these  parts. 

"  Left  Amaloixe  at  1.30.  Scarcely  had  we  entered 
on  the  flat  before  we  got  among  rills  of  water,  and 
about  half-way  we  crossed  a  small  river  flowing  waist- 
deep  toward  Etoska,  which  we  found  one  immense 
sheet  of  water,  though,  of  course,  quite  shallow.  It 
was  a  pretty  sight,  and  but  once  in  a  time  to  be  met 
with  in  these  parts  of  Africa.  It  has  been,  and  contin 
ues  to  be,  a  puzzle  to  me  from  whence  proceeds  this 
body  of  water.  The  relative  height  of  these  parts  and 
of  the  river  Okovango  seems  utterly  to  exclude  the 
possibility  of  its  coming  from  the  latter.  This  flat  lies 


OTJHAKO   DOA   MOSENGA.  199 

some  four  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  whereas  the 
Okovango,  even  when  struck  by  myself,  cannot  be  the 
fourth  of  that  height.  Observed  large  numbers  of 
water-fowl  and  waders.  -Came  to  a  halt  for  the1  night 
at  7.45.  This  long  stage  will  enable  us  to  reach  Otjhako 
doa  Mosenga  at  an  early  hour  to-morrow  morning. 

"Friday,  \st  February. — Left  bivouac  5.45  ;  reached 
the  last-named  place  at  8.45.  Overtaken  by  a  small 
Ovampo  caravan  on  the  way  to  procure  copper.  They 
informed  us  that  some  of  my  friends  the  elephant-hunt 
ers,  as  also  one  of  my  own  wagons  and  people,  are  away 
to  the  Ovaguamli,  hunting  and  bartering  with  the 
natives,  I  suppose.  Much  water  on  this  flat  likewise, 
and  lots  of  water  fowl.  Journey  on  again  at  11.40 — 
came  to  a  halt  for  the  night  at  5.10,  having  fairly  left 
the  great  flat  behind  us,  and  entered  the  last  bush  before 
coming  into  glorious  Ondonga.  On  the  way  we  saw 
many  wildebeestes ;  also  found  a  new  shell,  a  fine,  large, 
and  handsome  species. 

"  Having  now  entered  Ovampoland,  I  despatched  a 
messenger  to  the  chief,  Chykongo,  informing  him  of  our 
arrival;  and,  while  awaiting  a  message  from  him,  had 
the  satisfaction  to  receive  a  letter  from  my  people, 
informing  me  they  had  reached  Ondonga  in  safety.  It 
would  appear,  however,  they  had  had  an  almost  mirac 
ulous  escape  from  the  clutches  of  Samuel,  who  had  fol 
lowed  their  tracks  for  many  days,  and  only  desisted 
from  the  pursuit  on  finding  himself  unable  to  overtake 
them  ;  and  as  for  some  time  past  I  had  entertained  the 
most  serious  apprehensions  that  they  had  fallen  into  his 
hands,  I  now  made  a  solemn  vow  never  again  to  expose 
them  to  risks  not  shared  by  myself. 


2OO  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

1 

"  Saturday,  2d  February. — Wanted  to  have  gone 
ahead  on  horseback,  but  finding  myself  unequal  to  a 
long  ride  must  postpone  it  till  to-morrow.  Left  bivouac 
at  6.5.  Came  to  a  halt:  at  12  ;  quite  half-an-hour's 
delay.  Road  very  sandy  and  bushy.  Had  several  nar 
row  escapes  with  the  wagon ;  indeed,  we  damaged  one 
of  the  steps.  Off  again  at  1.45.  Came  to  a  halt  at 
6.25  ;  also  about  half-an-hour's  delay.  Road  worse,  if 
possible,  than  in  the  forenoon.  It  was  quite  touch-and- 
go  in  many  places,  and  unfortunately  the  shaft  oxen 
are  bad.  Disappointed  at  not  reaching  Ondonga  ;  but 
if  we  had  gone  on  till  dusk  we  should  not  have  been 
so  far  off.  Still  very  uneasy.  It  is  now  more  than 
a  month  since  I  touched  meat  ;  bread,  or  rather  '  co- 
kies,'  and  now  and  then  a  little  arrowroot,  constitute 
my  sole  diet. 

"  Sunday,  ^d  February. — With  the  first  return  of 
daylight  I  was  in  the  saddle,  eager  not  only  to  meet  my 
people  once  more,  but  to  gaze  upon  that  country  which, 
some  sixteen  years  before,  I  had  visited  in  company 
with  my  esteemed  friend  Galton,  to  whom  the  public  is 
so  much  indebted  for  his  valuable  contributions  to 
science. 

"  Ovampoland,  or  rather  Ondonga,  as  that  portion 
of  the  country  is  commonly  called,  has  since  then  under 
gone  many  changes.  Bloody  civil  wars  had  swept  like 
a  hurricane  over  its  quiet  rural  beauties,  immolating  or 
dispersing  one-half  of  its  industrial,  gay-hearted,  and  in 
offensive  population,  and  leaving  but  the  fame  of  the 
vast  herds  of  cattle  that  once  gave  additional  charms 
and  importance  to  the  country.  The  exactions  and 
contributions  of  foreign  auxiliaries  called  in  by  one  or 


OVAMFO    LAND.  2OI 

other  of  the  contending  parties,  and  the  insidious  and 
destructive  *  lung  sickness,'  left  but  a  smah1  remnant  of 
these,  their  chief  wealth.  Old  Nangoro,  the  obese  king 
spoken  of  by  Mr.  Galton,  who  was  chieftain  on  my 
former  sojourn  here,  had  died  under  very  suspicious 
circumstances,  and  more  than  one  other  ruler  of  the 
country  had  subsequently  met  with  a  tragical  death. 
But  there  had  now  been  peace  for  some  years,  and  the 
country  itself  presented  the  same  beautiful  appearance 
as  had  enchanted  me  on  our  first  becoming  acquainted 
with  it.  The  like  magnificent  trees,  both  forest  and 
fruit,  were  observable  everywhere,  and  the  landscape, 
as  heretofore,  was  dotted  in  all  directions  with  patri 
archal-looking  hamlets,  and  further  enlivened  by  groups 
of  men,  women,  and  children,  occupied  in  their  several 
vocations.  The  cheerful  twitterings  and  warblings  of 
numerous  birds,  moreover,  added  an  additional  charm 
to  the  scene.  I  have  seen  many  lands  and  places,  some 
perhaps,  strictly  speaking,  more  beautiful ;  but  among 
the  extensive  savannahs,  or  the  interminable  forests  of 
South  Africa,,  which  so  long  has  been  my  home,  there 
was  but  one  Ondonga. 

"  To  proceed.  A  few  hours  sharp  riding  brought 
me  to  my  people,  who  were  encamped  near  to  the 
chiefs  *  werft,'  and  whom,  with  the  exception  of  one  or 
two  down  with  slight  fever,  I  was  happy  to  find  in  good 
health  and  spirits.  Axel  had,  I  ascertained,  collected 
few  eggs  or  shells,  but  a  good  many  specimens  of  birds— 
among  the  rest  three  or  four  new  species,  and  another 
example  of  the  Stringonis  Anderssonyx,  the  nondescript 
named  after  myself.  An  additional  pleasure  was  afforded 
me  on  this  occasion  by  meeting  many  of  the  elephant 
9* 


2O2  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

hunters,  who  had  of  late  years  made  Ondonga  their 
head-quarters  ;  and  who,  on  hearing  of  my  arrival  in 
the  country,  had  come  to  greet  me.  Some  of  them  I 
had  not  met  for  years,  Poor  fellows  !  they  had  labored 
hard  to  retrieve  their  broken  fortunes,  though  with  lit 
tle  success,  as  elephants  had  become  scarce,  and  so 
excessively  wild  as  to  bid  defiance  to  the  most  expe 
rienced  and  persevering  sportsmen.  My  friends  were, 
moreover,  excluded  from  the  best  '  veldt/  situated  in 
the  near  vicinity  to  their  inveterate  enemies  the  Hot 
tentots,  and  which,  in  consequence,  they  ventured  not 
singly,  or  in  small  parties,  to  visit.  As  a  set-off,  how 
ever,  to  the  pleasure  of  thus  meeting  with  my  people 
and  old  acquaintances,  I  was  sorry  to  hear  that  the 
late  excessive  rains  were  likely  to  produce  a  great  deal 
of  sickness  in  the  country  this  year.  As  I  afterward 
learned,  indeed,  not  a  few  individuals  had  already 
fallen  victims  to  fever,  or  were  then  suffering  from  its 
effects.  Thus  was  a  journey  of  very  considerable  extent, 
attended  by  some  real  danger  and  many  inconveniences, 
speedily  and  safely  accomplished ;  and  as  by  taking  a 
route  different  from  that  pursued  by  Mr.  Galton  and  my 
self,  I  was  enabled  to  rectify  much  of  the  map  that  I  had 
constructed  of  Damaraland,  besides  adding  largely  to  its 
details,  which  map  I  have  since  sent  to  the  Royal  Geo 
graphical  Society  in  London.  As  regards  my  researches 
in  natural  history,  moreover,  I  was  enabled  to  corrobo 
rate  much  that  was  previously  somewhat  doubtful, 
as  also  to  add  no  inconsiderable  quantity  of  new  mat 
ter  to  my  previous  store.  On  the  evening  of  this 
day,  therefore,  though  still  very  ill  in  body,  I  retired  to 
rest  with  great  satisfaction,  and  truly  grateful  to  Provi- 


MAP   OF   DAMARALAND.  203 

dence  for  the  many  mercies  and  blessings  vouchsafed  to 
me  during  my  recent  wanderings." 

[Here  Andersson's  journal  ceases  for  awhile,  and  in 
this  and  the  two  succeeding  chapters,  we  have  a  con 
tinuation  of  his  "  Notes  of  Travel." — Editor^\ 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

Chykongo — Appearance  of  the  country — Description  of  the  homestead — 
The  chiefs  werft — The  soil — Agriculture — Times  of  scarcity — Fruit 
trees — Minerals— The  flora  and  fauna— Ichthyology — Domestic 
animals — The  inhabitants — Their  amusements — Religion  and 
superstition — Attack  on  Mr.  Hahn's  party. 

ON  the  evening  of  my  arrival  at  Ondonga  I 
received  a  visit  from  Chykongo,  the  paramount 
chief  of  Ovampoland.  He  is  perhaps  fifty  years  of  age, 
but  appears  younger.  His  figure  is  commanding, 
though  slightly  inclined  to  corpulency,  and  his  face 
intelligent  ;  but  if  the  eyes  are  closely  examined  they 
will  be  found  somewhat  sinister  in  expression,  espe 
cially  if  he  is  at  all  unpleasantly  excited.  But,  taken 
altogether,  the  Ovampo  ruler  is  certainly  by  far  the 
most  chief-like-  in  aspect  and  bearing  of  all  the  native 
sovereigns  between  the  Orange  River  and  the  Cunene, 
with  whom  I  am  acquainted. 

But  Chykongo  did  not  succeed  to  his  present 
elevated  position  quietly.  Immediately  on  Nangoro's 
death,  which,  as  recently  observed,  I  have  reason  to 
believe  was  sudden  and  unnatural,  the  sovereign  sway 
•was  assumed  by  Chypanza,  his  elder  brother,  though  I 
imagine  this  was  quite  in  accordance  with  the  law  of 
succession  in  the  country.  There  was  at  the  time  a 
strong  party  who  inclined  for  another  chief,  at  the  head 
of  which  was  Nakonjona  (a  remarkably  intelligent  and 

V 


CHIEF   OF  OVAMPO    LAND.  2O5 

fine-looking  man),  but  Chypanza,  dreading  his  influ 
ence,  caused  him  to  be  put  out  of  the  way.  On  this, 
the  younger  brother  of  the  murdered  man,  the  present 
chief  Chykongo,  sent  for  assistance'  to  Jonker  Afri 
kaner,  the  famous  Namaqua  freebooter,  who  shortly 
afterward  appeared  in  Ovampoland  with  a  considerable 
force.  For  awhile  he  amused  himself  by  laying  heavy 
contributions  of  cattle,  etc..  on  the  natives,  besides 
slaying  very  many  of  them. 

After  varying  fortunes  and  manceuvrings,  it  would 
seem  that  at  last  an  open  fight  between  the  people  of 
Chypanza  and  those  of  Chykongo  took  place,  in  which 
the  latter  were  victorious,  entirely  dispersing  their 
adversaries,  many  of  whom  fled  for  protection  to  neigh 
boring  rulers.  Since  then  Chykongo  has  governed  the 
country,  and  with  the  same  tyrannical  power  and 
freedom  as  his  predecessor,  Nangoro,  but  he  seems 
less  reserved  with  his  subjects,  who  address  him  much 
more  familiarly. 

Having  now  given  some  account  of  the  chieftain  of 
Ovampoland,  it  may  be  proper  to  say  a  few  words  re 
garding  the  country  and  people  he  rules  over.  True 
it  is  that  in  Lake  N'gami  these  subjects  are  slightly 
touched  upon  ;  but  as  the  Ovampos  are  a  fair  type  of 
the  nations  and  tribes  dwelling  between  Ovampoland 
and  the  river  Cunene,  of  whom  I  shall  hereafter  have 
occasion  to  speak,  I  deem  an  apology  unnecessary  for 
making  a  short  rfcumt  of  what  is  said  respecting  them 
in  that  work,  adding  thereto  such  information  as  I 
have  since  acquired.  It  will  save  repetition  hereafter, 
when,  in  due  course,  I  shall  have  occasion  to  introduce 
to  the  reader  the  people  in  question,  whereby  he  will 


2O6  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

be  saved   the  tedium  of  twice  going  over  the  same 
ground,  as  it  were. 

Ondonga,  that  is  the  grain-growing  portion  of 
Ovampoland,  which  is  situated  some  three  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  runs  from  south- 
south-east,  to  north-north-west,  is  of  very  limited 
extent,  not  being  more  than  about  forty  miles  in 
length,  with  an  average  breadth  of  ten  or  twelve.  It 
is  very  level,  with  frequent  extensive  though  shallow 
depressions,  which  are  filled  with  water  during  several 
months  of  the  year,  and  that  portion  of  it,  therefore,  is 
rendered  useless  for  agricultural  purposes,  otherwise 
nearly  all  of  it  would  be  available  land.  About  one- 
fourth  of  the  whole  is  cultivated.  It  is  a  beautiful, 
open,  and  for  Africa  highly  cultivated  country,  en 
vironed  on  all  sides  with  interminable  and  dense 
forests — in  short,  a  perfect  oasis  in  the  desert.  In 
the  fall  of  the  year,  indeed,  the  landscape  presents  a 
boundless  expanse  of  yellow  waving  corn,  studded  with 
primitive-looking  homesteads,  while  here  and  there, 
whether  alone  or  in  clusters,  arise  gigantic,  wide- 
spreading,  and  dark-foliaged  trees.  In  short,  after  the 
traveller  has  perhaps  for  weeks  and  weeks  together 
toiled  through  pathless  forests  and  the  thorny  brakes, 
which  have  not  only  torn  his  garments  and  other 
belongings  to  tatters,  he  finds  himself  in  Ondonga,  it 
seems  to  him  a  perfect  elysium.  Such,  at  least,  on  my 
first  acquaintance  with  the  country  it  appeared  to  me. 

The  population  of  Ondonga  is  considerable.  When 
in  company  of  Mr.  Galton,  we  were  anxious  to  form 
some  idea  of  its  density,  and  by  counting  the  houses  in 
a  given  extent  of  country,  and  taking  the  average  num- 


POPULATION   OF  ONDONGA.  2O/ 

her  of  individuals  to  each,  we  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  there  were  about  a  hundred  people  to  every  square 
mile.  There  is  but  little  pauperism  ;  the  crippled  and 
aged,  moreover,  seem  to  be  carefully'tended  and  nursed. 
What  a  contrast  to  their  near  neighbors,  the  Damaras! 
who,  when  a  man  becomes  old,  and  no  longer  able  to 
shift  for  himself,  leave  him  to  perish  on  his  own  hearth, 
or  carry  him  into  the  desert  or  the  forest,  there  to  die 
of  hunger  or  to  be  devoured  by  beasts  of  prey. 

There  are  neither  towns  nor  villages  in  Ondonga,  if 
we  except  perhaps  the  chief's  werft,  which,  from  its 
great  extent,  might  almost  come  under  one  or  other  of 
these  categories.  Each  family,  often  consisting  of 
father,  grandfather,  children  and  servants,  resides  by 
itself  in  a  very  patriarchal  sort  of  way.  Their  houses, 
or  rather  huts,  are  circular  in  form  ;  the  lower  part  con 
sisting  of  slender  poles,  about  two  feet  six  inches  high, 
firmly  driven  into  the  ground,  and  further  secured  by 
withes,  or  other  bands,  the  whole  being  plastered  over 
with  clay.  The  roof,  composed  of  rushes,  is  in  shape 
not  unlike  a  beehive.  The  height  of  the  hut,  from  the 
ground  to  the  apex  of  the  roof,  does  not  much  exceed 
four  feet,  and  its  circumference  outwardly  is  about  six 
teen.  The  reason  for  their  thus  entombing  themselves, 
as  it  were,  is  probably  partly  as  a  protection  against  the 
cold,  and  partly  on  account  of  the  great  distance  the 
wood  has  to  be  conveyed  from  the  forest. 

Besides  the  hut  in  which  they  themselves  dwell,  the 
homestead  consists  of  various  other  erections  ;  viz.,  the 
"  palaver-house,"  or  that  wherein  councils  are  held  ; 
several  beehive-topped  baskets  in  which  the  grain  is 
stored  away  ;  pens  for  the  cattle  and  goats,  etc.,  the 


208  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

whole  being  surrounded  by  a  high  and  strong  palisade, 
and  it  may  be  a  thorn  fence  in  addition.  The  pathways, 
or  walks,  leading  to  the  several  buildings  enumerated, 
which  are  also  lined  on  both  sides  by  rows  of  poles,  are 
exceedingly  tortuous,  and  to  a  stranger  perfectly  bewil 
dering. 

The  residences  of  the  great  differ  but  little  in  design 
from  the  homesteads  of  the  commonalty  ;  but  they  are 
on  a  much  more  extensive  scale — that  of  Chykongo,  the 
paramount  chief,  for  instance,  being  something  like 
half  a  mile  in  circuit.  The  defences,  moreover,  are  very 
much  stronger,  the  outer  palisading,  as  well  as  that  on 
either  side  of  the  pathways  leading  to  the  several  build 
ings,  consisting  of  two  or  more  rows  of  poles  or  planks, 
instead  of  single  ones,  and  these  so  closely  placed 
together  as  almost  to  exclude  the  light,  and  conse 
quently  impervious  to  ordinary  fire-arms.  Indeed,  it 
would  require  cannon  to  knock  them  down  ;  and  I  have 
no  doubt  it  is  intended  they  should  prove  impregnable, 
if  not  to  ordnance,  at  least  to  such  weapons  as  are  at 
the  command  of  the  natives.  Without  fear  of  being 
thought  to  exaggerate,  I  will  venture  to  affirm  that  at 
least  one  or  two  hundred  thousand  stout  poles,  together 
with  a  great  many  planks,  or  rather  slabs,  for  saw-mills 
have  not  as  yet  found  their  way  into  Ondonga,  were 
made  use  of  in  the  construction  of  the  werft  in  ques 
tion  ;  and  as  all  the  homesteads  in  the  surrounding 
country,  though  on  a  very  much  smaller  scale,  are  sim 
ilarly  constructed,  it  may  readily  be  conceived  what 
millions  upon  millions  of  young  trees  must  annually  be 
felled  for  their  construction  and  needful  repair. 

In  the  erection   of  the  residence  of  the  paramount 


CEREALS   OF   OKEVANGO. 


209 


chief  of  Ondonga,  be  he  who  he  may,  I  should  add 
the  whole  population  is  compelled  to  assist  ;  each  man 
contributing  his  quota  of  materials  and  labor,  and  that 
without  remuneration  of  any  kind  ;  but  on  these  occa 
sions  a  great  quantity  of  beer  is  consumed,  and,  as  I 
imagine  at  the  chiefs  expense. 

The  soil  of  Okovango,  which  chiefly  consists  of  a 
fine  loose  sand  on  a  clay  bottom,  is  very  fertile,  as  may 
be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  little  or  no  manure  is  ever 
applied  to  the  land.  Two  species  of  cereals  are  indi 
genous  to  the  country,  viz.,  the  so-styled  CJffir  corn 
(Holcns  Suhicent),  a  flattened,  roundish  seed  of  a  red 
dish-yellow  color,  and  a  much  smaller  kind,  not  unlike 
canary-seed.  This,  which  is  called  omahange,  is  the 
most  prized,  and  is  chiefly  used  for  food,  whereas  the 
former  is,  for  the  most  part,  converted  into  beer. 
Both  yield  an  enormous  return  ;  two  thousand  grains 
and  upward  being  commonly  obtained  from  a  single 
ear_.of  the  last-named. 

Besides  grain,  they  cultivate  small  quantities  of 
beans,  of  which  there  are  also  two  sorts — one  brown 
and  the  other  white  ;  both  are  very  palatable,  the  last 
quite  a  delicacy.  But,  strange  to  say,  neither  kind  is 
much  prized  by  the  natives  themselves,  who  prefer 
corn.  Tobacco  -is  likewise  extensively  planted,  but 
their  way  of  preparing  it  quite  destroys  any  flavor  it 
may  possess.  It  is  mashed  together  in  a  hollow  piece 
of  wood,  by  means  of  a  heavy  pole,  into  little  round 
balls  of  the  size  of  an  orange,  which  when  dry  are 
broken  into  smaller  pieces.  Calabashes  are  besides 
largely  produced,  but  only  to  be  converted  into  vessels 
for  holding  food,  beer,  etc.  Pumpkins  are  rarely  seen. 


2IO  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

The  cultivation  of  corn  is  associated  with  much  toil 
and  labor.  Indeed,  from  the  first  preparation  of  the 
soil  until  the  grain  is  cut,  housed,  and  cleaned,  it  is  one 
continuous  course  of  hard  work.  When  the  first  heavy 
showers  have  fallen  they  begin  their  operations.  The 
seed,  however,  is  not  sown  broadcast  as  with  us,  but 
little  holes  are  made  at  regular  intervals,  into  which  a 
few 'grains  are  deposited.  As  soon  as  the  plants  are 
sufficiently  grown,  these,  with  the  exception  of  one  or 
two  that  are  left,  are  pulled  up  and  transplanted  else 
where.  This  is  going  on  almost  incessantly,  and  it  is 
amusing  to  observe  how  the  area  on  which  the  corn 
was  first  sown  grows  under  the  process.  Thus  a  field 
of  grain  that  in  the  first  instance  was  only  half  an  acre 
in  extent  is  eventually  converted  into  one  of  many 
acres.  As  a  matter  of  course,  a  large  field  of  corn 
rarely  ripens  at  one  and  the  same  time  ;  but  this  is  of 
no  consequence,  as  only  the  ears  are  severed  from  the 
stalk.  The  ground,  I  should  add,  is  carefully  weeded 
by  a  small  one-handed  hoe,  the  only  farming  implement 
in  use  among  these  people.  .From  the  first  dawn  of 
day  to  dusk,  the  women,  and  at  times  the  men  also,  are 
employed  about  the  cornfields. 

Notwithstanding  the  care  and  labor  thus  bestowed 
on  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  -the  uncommonly 
large  yield,  still  times  of  great  scarcity  occasionally 
occur.  The  soil  consists,  as  I  have  said,  of  fine  loose 
sand  on  a  clay  bottom  ;  consequently,  as  the  evapora 
tion  is  always  great,  and  there  is  little  or  no  shade,  the 
ground  is  rapidly  exhausted  of  its  moisture,  and  unless 
replenished  at  regular  intervals  by  copious  tropical 
rains,  it  becomes  incapable  of  yielding  the  usual 


CULTIVATION  OF  THE  SOIL.  211 

produce.  In  former  times,  when  the  Ovampo  pos 
sessed  many  cattle,  an  occasional  failure  of  the  crop, 
though  always  more  or  less  calamitous,  was  of  less 
consequence,  since  they  could  then  fall  back  on  a  meat 
and  milk  diet  until  the  return  of  more  favorable  sea 
sons  ;  but  such  is  not  the  case  at  present,  their  enemies 
having  of  late  years  despoiled  them  of  a  large  portion 
of  their  herds.  However,  as  all  the  tribes  bordering 
on  Ovampoland  are  more  or  less  corn-producers,  and  as 
the  rains  are  not  everywhere  equally  uncertain,  it 
follows  that  a  supply  may  in  general  be  obtained  from 
one  or  other  of  their  neighbors,  sufficient  at  least  "  to 
keep  the  wolf  from  the  door." 

Magnificent  trees,  both  fruit  and  forest,  whether 
alone  or  in  groups,  dot,  as  said,  the  Ondonga  land 
scape.  Preeminent  for  beauty  among  the  former 
stands  the  palm,  the  glory  of  the  tropics,  the  stem  of 
which,  before  branching  out,  often  rises  to  a  height  of 
fifty  or  sixty  feet.  But  this  tree  is  even  more  useful 
than  ornamental  ;  for,  independently  of  its  rich  brown 
clusters  of  well-tasted  fruit,  its  wood,  broad  leaves,  and 
fibres  are  applied  to  a  hundred  beneficial  purposes. 

Next  in  rank  comes,  perhaps,  a  huge-stemmed, 
wide-spreading  tree,*  with  small  elongated  leaves, 
yielding  in  ordinary  years  tons  and  tons  of  a  small, 
apple-looking  fruit ;  but  it  is  only  in  appearance,  for 
it  contains  a  strong  kernel,  surrounded  by  a  fleshy 
pulp,  which  defies  your  utmost  efforts  to  detach  it. 

*  This  tree  at  times  attains  to  an  astonishing  size.  Indeed,  the 
branches  of  one  that  we  measured  spread  over  a  space  of  ground  one 
hundred  and  forty  feet  in  diameter,  or  four  hundred  and  thirty-two  in 
circumference. 


212  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

By  removing  the  skin,  however,  an  agreeable,  sweet, 
acidulous  flavor  is  obtained.  As  the  fruit  begins  to 
ripen  it  falls  to  the  ground,  where  it  is  carefully 
gathered  by  the  natives,  who  convert  it  into  a  kind  of 
beer.  This  is  done  by  simply  removing  the  peel,  and 
then  throwing  it  into  some  vessel  partially  filled  with 
water.  In  a  day  or  two  it  is  fit  for  use,  and  is  said  to 
be  very  intoxicating.  I  cannot  say  that  I  like  it,  but 
when  mingled  with  the  ordinary  beer  obtained  from 
malted  corn,  it  becomes  a  cool  and  pleasant  beverage. 

Then  there  is  a  rich,  dark-foliaged,  and  dark- 
stemmed  tree,  producing  a  small  yellow  acorn-looking 
(minus  the  cup)  fruit,  which  is  apparently  highly  prized 
by  the  native  population.  To  my  taste,  however,  it  is 
too  sweet  and  insipid.  Single  fig-trees  are  met  with 
everywhere,  and  grow  frequently  to  enormous  dimen 
sions.  The  fruit  is  plentiful,  but  not  very  well  flavored. 
Besides  those  mentioned,  there  are  some  other  kinds  of 
fruit-trees,  but  let  the  aforesaid  suffice. 

There  are  no  rivers  in  Ondonga,  only  an  "  omu- 
ramba,"  or  periodical  water-course,  containing  grass  as 
well  as  water,  which  intersects  nearly  its  whole  length, 
and  never  dries  up  entirely  even  in  the  hottest  sum 
mer.  From  the  level  nature  of  the  country,  however, 
it  hardly  drains  an  area  of  half-a-mile  on  either  side  ; 
and  in  extraordinary  wet  seasons,  therefore,  the  country 
is  half  under  water,  from  which  cause,  as  will  naturally 
be  inferred,  it  becomes  extremely  unhealthy.  But  more 
of  this  hereafter. 

Neither  are  there  minerals  in  Ondonga,  or,  in  fact, 
in  any  part  of  the  extensive  country  surrounding  it  that 
js  claimed  by  the  Ovampo.  Iron  these  people  obtain 


CLIMATE.  213 

by  barter  from  neighboring  tribes ;  and  copper  is 
brought  to  them,  in  the  shape  of  ore,  by  the  Bushmen 
who  inhabit  the  border  country  between  Ovampo  and 
Damaraland.  With  gold  and  silver  they  are  unac 
quainted,  as  also  with  all  other  known  metals  except 
the  two  just  named. 

The  climate  of  Ondonga  cannot  be  looked  on  as 
healthy,  the  natives  at  all  times  suffering  more  or  less 
from  ophthalmia,  dysentery,  and  fever ;  for  none  of 
which  diseases  have  they  any  specific.  In  very  wet 
--casons,  moreover,  when  the  rains,  generally  lasting 
from  January  to  May,  have  been  unusually  heavy,  and 
the  country,  as  a  consequence,  laid  half  under  water, 
a  kind  of  intermittent  fever  (to  which  foreigners  and 
strangers  are  equally  as  liable  as  the  natives)  extensively 
prevails,  causing  the  mortality  to  be  frightful.  This 
disease  arises,  no  doubt,  from  the  excessive  amount 
of  evaporation  that  takes  place  after  the  downpour- 
ings  have  ceased.  Nevertheless,  the  country  generally 
cannot  with  propriety  be  called  either  swampy  or 
marshy;  for,  as  said,  the  soil  is  sandy,  and  neither 
reeds  nor  rushes  will  thrive  in  it.  With  the  excep 
tion  of  the  "  omuramba  "  spoken  of,  none  of  the  "  vleys  " 
hold  water  throughout  the  year,  and  consequently 
there  is  no  encouragement  for  the  formation  of 
decomposed  matter. 

Independently  of  the  risk  the  stranger  who  visits 
Ondonga  runs  from  one  or  other  of  the  diseases  spoken 
of,  he  will  surely  be  plagued  almost  out  of  his  life  by 
certain  insects.  Among  these  may  be  enumerated  the 
white  ants,  which,  in  an  incredibly  short  time,  deface 
and  destroy  everything  they  come  across.  A  room  left 


214  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

deserted  for  a  short  while  will  be  found  to  have  large 
heaps  of  earth  on  the  floor,  which  if  not  speedily 
removed  will  shortly  grow  into  hills.  The  posts  of  the 
veranda  of  my  house  in  Ondonga  became  so  incrusted, 
even  to  the  rafters,  with  their  mud-work,  as  to  give  me 
the  idea  of  a  torrent  of  lava  having  run  down  their 
sides.  The  thorn-fences,  moreover,  look  in  a  short 
time  as  if  a  herd  of  mud-bespattered  elephants  had  been 
rubbing  their  bodies  against  them. 

The  evil  just  mentioned,  however,  is  but  trivial 
compared  with  that  inflicted  by  a  kind  of  bug  of  a 
shining  brown  color.  During  certain  months  of  the 
year  these  insects  literally  swarm  everywhere,  invading 
and  destroying  all  they  meet  with.  You  open  your 
clothes-box,  and  myriads  are  seen  scampering  off, 
though  only  to  hide  themselves  in  the  linen.  Examine 
any  one  piece,  and  scores  are  found  secreted  in  its 
folds;  and,  to  cap  the  evil,  they  get  into  one's  food. 
Every  crack  and  fissure  in  a  loaf  of  bread,  if  left  exposed 
for  only  half  an  hour,  harbors  its  dozens.  Ugh  !  If  you 
chance  to  kill  one  of  them,  which  a  slight  pressure  of 
the  finger  will  effect,  the  squashed  parts  adhere  to  the 
digit,  and  make  the  eating  of  the  bread  anything  but 
pleasant.  Such  a  sight  would,  I  am  sure,  act  on  many 
persons  like  a  dose  of  ipecacuanha.  Others  of  the  pests 
to  which  one  is  subjected  at  Ondonga  are  the  common 
house-fly,*  the  mosquito,  and  mice. 

*  We,  in  Europe,  who  are  annoyed  enough  at  times  by  the  common 
house-fly,  can  hardly  form  an  idea  as  to  the  number  of  these  insects  in 
Southern  Africa.  Methuen,  in  his  interesting  work,  when  speaking  of  a 
visit  paid  by  him  to  a  Boer,  says,  for  instance  :  "  A  hot  wind  was  blowing 
at  the  time,  and  the  Dutchman's  house  was  perfectly  full  of  flies,  and 
garnished  with  the  usual  appendages.  A  number  of  green  boughs  were 


FLORA  AND   FAUNA.  21$ 

The  flora  of  Ondonga  is  comparatively  poor ;  the 
paucity,  or  rather  the  want  of  variety,  is  probably  to  be 
accounted  for  by  the  uniform  character  of  the  soil. 

Nor  is  its  fauna  richer,  at  least  the  animal  portion. 
The  cause  here  is  even  more  apparent,  viz.,  the  open 
and  cultivated  nature  of  the  country.  Now  and  then 
a  steinbok,  a  ducker,  a  hartebeest,  and  so  forth,  may  be 
seen,  and  during  the  dry  season  an  occasional  herd  of 
migratory  springboks.  But  in  the  dense  bush  that 
surrounds  Ondonga  on  every  side  we  find  an  occasional 
elephant,  as  also  the  eland,  the  gemsbok,  the  giraffe,  the 
koodoo,  etc.  ;  to  say  nothing  of  beasts  of  prey  that 
usually  follow  in  their  wake,  such  as  the  lion,  the  leop 
ard,  and  the  hyena.  The  last-named  beast  is,  however, 
not  only  a  constant  resident  in  the  country,  but  literally 
swarms  everywhere. 

But  what  Ondonga  wants  in  animals  is  amply  made 
up  for  by  the  quantity  and  variety  of  the  feathered 
creation.  Indeed,  I  know  no  other  country  in  the  world, 
of  an  equal  extent  (the  reader  will  recollect  that  On 
donga  is  only  about  forty  miles  long,  and  one-fourth  of 
that  in  breadth),  that  can  boast  of  such  a  number  of  dif 
ferent  kinds  of  birds.  It  is  true,  many  are  only  tem 
porary  residents,  arriving  with  the  return  of  the  rainy 
season,  and  taking  their  departure  on  the  gradual  dry- 
ing-up  of  the  "  vleys  "  and  other  waters.  During  my 
last  visit,  I  ascertained  the  existence  of  many  species, 
but  want  of  space  prevents  me  from  giving  even  a  list 
of  them. 

suspended  overhead  to  attract  the  flies,  which  the  good  vrow  from  time  to 
time  enveloped  in  a  wet  sack,  and  then  shaking  the  sack's  mouth,  depos 
ited  it  in  a  corner.  The  contents  did  not  appear  to  be  far  short  of  half 
a  bushel." 


2l6  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

Fish  are  also  abundant  in  the  "  omuramba,"  or 
periodical  water-course  spoken  of,  which,  as  I  have  said, 
never  dries  up  entirely.  Of  these  the  natives  are  fond, 
and  catch  them  during  the  hot  time  of  the  year  by 
means  of  bee-hive  shaped  hand-baskets,  which  are 
dropped  suddenly  over  the  fish  when  appearing  in 
view.  But  this  rude  process  is  only  successful  with  the 
smaller  species,  and  where  the  water  is  shallow  ;  the 
larger  ones  are  speared.  There  are  several  kinds  ;  but 
I  cannot  remember  having  identified  more  than  the 
barbel  (Giants  Siluris],  and  the  mullet  (Mugil Africanus), 
though  Claria  Capensis  is  probably  found,  too.  The 
barbel  attains  to  an  enormous  size  and  fatness,  being 
not  unfrequently  captured  six,  seven,  eight,  and  even 
nine  feet  in  length. 

The  domestic  animals  of  the  Ovampo  are  the  ox,  the 
goat,  the  pig,  the  dog,  the  cat  (which  I  myself  lately 
introduced),  and  the  barn-door  fowl.  Horses,  of  which 
of  late  years  a  few  have  been  brought  into  the  country, 
don't  thrive  ;  for  the  most  part,  indeed,  they  die  at  the 
end  of  the  rainy  season  of  the  so-called  "  lung-sickness," 
the  disease  that  annually  carries  off  so  many  animals, 
both  wild  and  tame,  in  Southern  Africa  ;  those  that 
survive,  however,  are  said  to  be  exempt  thereafter  from 
the  epidemic.  Neither  have  sheep  succeeded  ;  those 
that  have  been  imported  from  Damaraland,  or  else 
where,  have  for  the  most  part  succumbed  to  a  disease 
designated  the  "  blood-sickness." 

The  cattle,  which  are  of  a  fair  size,  differ  in  nothing 
from  other  native  breeds,  but  the  cows  give  little  milk. 
The  goats — nearly  the  whole  of  which  are  black,  or  of 
a  darkish  color — are  very  diminutive  ;  but  people  who 


DOMESTIC  ANIMALS. 

have  had  opportunity  of  comparing  them  with  breeds 
elsewhere,  say  they  yield  more  milk  than  others  of 
double  the  size.  The  pigs  are  also  black,  or  nearly  so, 
and  very  uncouth  looking,  being  bony  and  lanky.  The 
head  is  particularly  ugly.  The  flesh  is,  however,  palat 
able.  The  dogs,  which  are  larger  than  those  found 
with  the  Bushmen,  are  of  a  lightish  color,  with  dark  gray 
muzzles.  The  fowls,  a  species  of  bantam,  are  very 
small,  but  capital  egg-layers.  I  hope  shortly,  however, 
to  supply  them  with  a  more  useful  breed. 

A  word  now  as  to  the  inhabitants  of  Ovampoland, 
who,  as  a  race,  are  fine-looking  people,  and  have  noth 
ing  of  the  real  negro  type  in  their  features.  The  men 
are  tall  and  well-formed,  and  their  upright,  manly  fig 
ures  are  set  off  to  great  advantage  by  a  broad,  stiff 
leather  girdle.  This,  with  a  slip  of  dressed  skin  (more 
frequently  the  inside  of  an  ox's  stomach)  in  front,  and 
the  apology  of  a  piece  of  hide  behind,  is  the  only  cov 
ering  they  indulge  in.  Though  they  have  now  been 
for  nearly  twenty  years  in  communication  with  Euro 
peans,  and  eagerly  buy  our  guns,  ammunition,  etc., 
they  strictly  eschew  everything  approaching  to  cloth 
ing.  They  do  not  even  make  use  of  the  skins  of  wild 
or  domestic  animals  as  coverings  during  the  night. 
One  can  only  account  for  this  apparent  perverseness 
of  their  taste  by  the  fact  that  they  look  on  their  own 
lubricous  and  next  to  naked  persons  as  a  far  prettier 
and  more  respectable  sight  than  the  most  dandified 
Brummel  costume  ;  but  let  the  cause  be  what  it  may, 
their  going  thus  denuded  of  dress  must  ill  agree  with 
their  constitutions,  for  during  the  rainy  seasons  they 
evidently  suffer  much  from  the  cold.  With  the  excep- 
10 


21 8  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

tion  of  ear-rings,  composed  of  beads  or  shells,  the  men 
display  but  few  ornaments. 

Their  arms  consist  of  the  bow  and  arrow,  a  dagger- 
shaped  knife,  and  the  "knob-keerie,"  a  short,  straight 
stick,  or  rather  club,  with  a  heavy  knob  at  the  end  ;  a 
most  formidable  weapon  in  experienced  hands,  as  a 
single  well-directed  blow  is  sufficient  to  fell  the  strong 
est  man  to  the  ground.  The  natives  of  Africa,  more 
over,  throw  it  with  very  great  dexterity,  seldom  failing 
to  hit  the  object  aimed  at.  Harris,  indeed,  when  speak 
ing  of  the  Matibili,  goes  so  far  as  to  say,  "  They  rarely 
miss  a  partridge  or  a  guinea-fowl  when  on  the  wing." 

The  features  of  the  women,  though  coarse,  are  not 
unpleasing,  and  in  early  life  many  of  them  are  very 
good-looking.  As  a  rule  they  are  exceedingly  plump 
and  well  fed  ;  and,  curiously  enough,  I  have  never  seen 
among  them  any  of  those  thin  and  scraggy  females, 
who  are  so  common  in  Europe.  And  though  they 
retain  their  roundness  even  in  old  age,  it  is  seldom  they 
become  corpulent.  As  with  the  men,  they  lubricate 
their  persons  with  grease  and  red  ochre,  and  are  as  inno 
cent  of  clothing  as  their  lords  and  masters,  wearing  only, 
like  them,  a  belt  about  the  waist,  and  a  slip  of  skin 
before  and  behind.  *Their  persons,  however,  are  pro 
fusely  ornamented,  or  rather  loaded,  with  various  colored 
beads,  and  strings  of  round  pieces  of  ostrich  eggs,  the 
latter  resting  gracefully  in  front. 

But  the  Ovampo  ladies  have  their  fashions,  as  well  as 
those  of  more  civilized  countries.  On  my  first  visit  to 
Ondonga,  they,  for  instance,  wore  the  hair  (the  artificial 
portion  of  it  at  least)  straight  down  the  back,  each  elf- 
like  lock  being  fastened  to  a  sort  of  comb,  as  depicted 


OVAMPO    WOMEN.  2IQ 

in  "  Lake  N'gami."  Now  all  this  is  changed,  and  the 
hair  is  worn  en  ncgligd.  Thus  a  few  locks  descend 
behind,  while  others  are  thrown  cpquettishly  over  the 
head  and  part  of  the  face.  Then  again,  at  the  period 
I  speak  of,  it  was  customary  for  the  fair  sex  to  wear,  as 
ornaments,  heavy  copper  rings  about  the  ankles.  Now 
this  fashion  is  altogether  dispensed  with,  and  the  rings 
in  question  are  used  for  a  very  different  purpose,  viz., 
to  prevent  servants  and  slaves,  if  suspected  of  the  inten 
tion  of  running  away,  from  carrying  out  their  purpose ; 
for  when  several  of  the  rings  are  attached  to  the  legs, 
which  renders  even  the  process  of  walking  somewhat 
difficult,  it  is  next  to  impossible  for  them  to  effect  their 
escape.  Both  the  men  and  women,  when  grown  up,  I 
should  add,  chip  the  middle  tooth  of  the  under-jaw. 

The  Ovampo  are  a  light-hearted  people,  and,  among 
other  amusements,  delight  in  music  and  the  dance. 
Almost  every  evening,  indeed,  when  the  labors  of  the 
day  are  over,  there  are  balls,  which,  in  their  way,  are 
remarkable  performances,  and  in  which  both  sexes  take 
part.  The  women  stand  in  a  ring,  singing,  clapping 
their  hands,  and  keeping  time  with  their  feet,  while  the 
men  join  in  a  kind  of  chorus.  Individuals  of  the  male 
sex  now  and  then  spring  into  the  open  space,  and  chal 
lenge  their  companions  "  to  kick  me  here  if  you  dare 
and  can,"  presenting  at  the  same  time  their  caudals  as 
a  mark,  but  with. a  threatening  "  beware  of  your  own." 
He  who  succeeds  in  making  the  highest  leap,  and  plan 
ing  the  most  vigorous  kick  on  the  inviting  spot,  is 
warmly  applauded  by  the  women.  But  who  shall  blame 
the  Ovampo  if  they  think  that  kicking  each  other  in  the 
way  described  is  rare  sport,  and  a  graceful  and  inter"- 


22O  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

esting  amusement?  Every  country  for  itself.  Their 
musical  instruments  are  of  a  very  simple  kind,  consist 
ing  of  the  well-known  African  "  tom-tom  "  and  a  sort 
of  guitar. 

The  staple  food  of  the  Ovampo  may  be  said  to  con 
sist  of  a  kind  of  stir-about  and  milk,  and  though  partial 
to  meat,  it  is  seldom  they  slaughter  their  own  cattle ; 
chiefly  for  the  reason,  I  believe,  that  as  a  man's  wealth 
and  influence  are  judged  of  by  the  number  of  his  herd, 
he  is  loth  to  make  inroads  on  the  latter,  but  on  very 
special  occasions.  With  the  exception  of  the  hyena, 
and  for  a  reason  hereafter  mentioned,  they  eschew  not 
the  flesh  of  any  other  animal,  whether  tame  or  wild. 
That  of  the  dog  would  appear  to  be  especially  welcome 
to  them.  What  is  more  than  strange,  however,  is  that 
both  flesh  and  fish,  even  when  in  a  high  state  of  putre 
faction,  are  eaten  by  them  with  great  gusto,  and  sin 
gularly  enough,  no  evil  consequences  would  appear  to 
follow  the  banquet.  What  would  doctors  and  inspect 
ors  of  meat  say  if  assured  that  not  only  putrid  but  dis 
eased  meat  was  perfectly  healthy  ;  but  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  those  who  partake  of  such  dainties  with 
impunity,  live  and  breathe  in  the  purest  of  atmospheres 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  Beer  is  the  favor 
ite  beverage  of  the  Ovampo,  and  if  they  can  afford  it, 
they  drink  it  in  large  quantities. 

These  people,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  worship  nothing, 
either  in  heaven  above  or  on  earth  beneath ;  whence 
one  is  led  to  conclude  their  religion,  should  they  really 
possess  one,  must  go  in  a  very  small  compass.  Still 
they  would  appear  to  have  a  dim  idea  of  a  future  state, 
a's  may  be  inferred  from  the  awe  and  reverence  evinced 


FOOD.  221 

by  them  when  the  subject  of  death  is  mentioned.  But, 
after  all,  may  we  not  entertain  incorrect  notions  in  this 
matter  as  regards  the  Ovampo,  attributable,  not  improb 
ably,  to  our  insufficient  knowledge  of  their  language  and 
habits,  and  to  shyness  on  their  part  to  reveal  such  sub 
jects  as  those  in  question  to  strangers.  Certain  it  is, 
however,  they  are  very  superstitious,  and  the  "  Rain 
maker,"  as  well  as  other  diviners  of  coming  events, 
are,  as  a  consequence,  held  by  them  in  high  honor 
and  repute. 

As  with  some  other  South  African  tribes,  the 
Ovampo  never  bury  their  dead,  their  chiefs  excepted  ; 
but  so  soon  as  life  is  extinct,  the  corpse  is  borne  to  some 
out-of-the-way  place,  and  there  left  to  be  devoured  by 
birds  and  beasts  of  prey.  The  hyena,  more  especially, 
indulges  in  this  revolting  kind  of  food  (hence  the  antip 
athy  of  the  natives  to  partake  of  his  flesh,  as  mentioned 
a  page  or  two  back),  and  becomes  at  length  so  embol 
dened  as,  in  failure  of  dead,  to  seek  out  living  subjects. 
It  is,  therefore,  not  uncommon  to  hear  of  these  beasts 
attacking  and  killing,  not  only  full-grown  women,  but 
men,  of  which  several  instances  came  under  my  own 
notice  during  my  stay  at  Ondonga.  Previously  I  had 
always  despised  the  hyena  as  a  sneaking,  cowardly 
brute,  whom  a  child  was  sufficient  to  scarce  away  ;  but 
during  my  present  travels  in  Ovampo  and  adjacent 
countries,  I  honestly  acknowledge  that  I  never  felt  my 
self  quite  safe  when  sleeping  in  the  open  air,  unless  pro 
tected  by  powerful  and  watchful  dogs. 

The  Ovampo  are  an  industrious  race,  and  the  men, 
contrary  to  the  custom  of  most  other  African  tribes  and 
nations,  work  fully  as  hard  as  the  women.  Besides 


222  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

taking  part  with  the  latter  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil,  they  tend  the  cattle  when  pastured  in  the  distant 
forest,  furnish  wood  for  the  huts  and  enclosures,  dig  the 
wells,  and  perform  various  other  laborious  occupations. 
When,  moreover,  they  have  time  to  spare  from  their 
several  duties,  it  is  often  employed  in  trading  with  their 
neighbors,  for  which  purpose  they  not  unfrequently 
make  journeys  of  several  hundreds  miles  in  extent  ;  on 
these  occasions,  they  exchange  iron  and  copper  rings 
and  beads,  hoes,  spear-heads  (assegais),  and  a  few  other 
simple  articles  of  their  own  rough  manufacture  (there 
being  artisans,  so  to  say,  among  them)  for  iron,  copper, 
etc.,  etc.  The  women  are  never  idle,  as  the  men  are.  In 
dependently  of  household  duties,  nursing  their  children, 
milking  the  cows  and  goats,  they  assist  their  husbands 
and  brothers  in  field  labors,  reaping  the  grain,  storing 
it  away,  etc.  ;  but  let  them  be  engaged  in  what  manner 
they  may,  they  always  seem  a  merry,  happy  set,  laugh 
ing  and  chatting  together,  and  making  sport,  as  it  were, 
of  labor. 

The  morality  of  the  Ovampo  is  much  on  a  par  with 
that  of  the  Damaras  and  other  South  African  tribes, 
which  is  not  saying  much  in  their  favor.  Polygamy  is 
practised  to  a  great  extent,  and  a  man  may  have  as  many 
wives  as  he  can  afford  to  maintain.  Our  guide,  on  the  oc 
casion  of  my  first  journey  to  Ondonga  in  company  with 
Mr.  Galton,  was  said  to  have  no  fewer  than  twenty,  two 
of  whom,  I  found  to  my  astonishment,  were  mother  and 
daughter ;  and  Nangoro,  the  then  paramount  chief, 
boasted  of  no  fewer  than  one  hundred  and  three 
help-mates.  Women  in  that  country,  it  is  to  be  ob 
served,  are  looked  on  as  a  mere  mercantile  commodity, 


INDUSTRY.  223 

an  article  of  commerce  ;  in  short,  should  the  man  be 
poor,  the  price  he  pays  for  a  wife  is  two  oxen  and  one 
cow  ;  but  if  his  circumstances  be  good,  three  oxen 
and  two  cows  are  expected.  The.  chief,  however,  is 
an  exception  to  the  rule,  as  in  his  case  the  honor  of 
an  alliance  with  him  is  supposed  to  be  sufficient  com 
pensation  to  the  parents  of  the  girl. 

A  stranger  passing  through  the  country  would  be 
inclined  to  look  on  the  Ovampo  as  honest,  and  they 
are  probably  as  much  so  as  most  of  the  African  tribes. 
Such  was  the  first  impression  of  Mr.  Galton  and  myself 
when  we  visited  Ondonga.  A  more  intimate  acquaint 
ance  will  probably  dispel  the  illusion.  It  seems  to  me, 
indeed,  that  their  apparent  honesty  arises  rather  from 
fear  of  the  consequences  that  might  ensue,  than  from 
a  desire  of  "  doing  as  they  would  be  done  by." 
And  no  wonder,  for  the  chief  rules  them  with  a  rod  of 
iron,  and  should  any  of  his  subjects  be  suspected  on 
good  grounds  of  theft,  conspiracy,  or  other  serious 
crime,  he  takes  not  the  trouble  legally  to  investigate 
the  case,  but  invites  the  unfortunate  individual  to  an 
entertainment  at  his  own  "  werft,"  where  he  is  plied 
with  intoxicating  drinks  until  all  sense  of  consciousness 
is  lost,  when  "  Jack  Ketch  " — there  really  being  such  a 
functionary  attached  to  the  chief's  establishment — steps 
behind  the  victim,  and  either  stabs  him  with  an  assegai 
or  cuts  his  throat,  and  that  with  as  little  compunction 
as  he  would  slay  an  ox  or  a  sheep.  Should,  however, 
this  course  of  proceeding  be  thought  too  open  and  dan 
gerous,  the  doomed  man  is  waylaid  and  put  to  death 
at  a  distance. 

The  Ovampo  are   a  peaceably  inclined   people,  and 


224  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

seldom,  I  believe,  resort  to  arms,  except  in  self- 
defence,  or  when  a  question  arises  as  to  the  suc 
cession  of  a  chief.  Apparently  they  are  obliging,  hos 
pitable,  and  kind-hearted  ;  but  their  disposition  at  bot 
tom,  it  is  to  be  feared,  is  treacherous  and  cruel,  as 
indeed  was  shown  by  their  dastardly  attack  on  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Hahn,  who,  in  company  with  my  friend  Frederick- 
Green,  visited  their  country  in  1857,  for  though  osten 
sibly  well  received  by  the  then  paramount  chief,  Nan- 
goro,  the  seeming  kindness  shown  by  him  to  the  trav 
ellers  was,  as  it  turned,  a  mere  ruse  de  guerre  ;  for  just 
as  they  were  about  to  depart  they  were  suddenly  and 
furiously  attacked,  and  that  by  the  monarch's  orders. 
Fortunately,  however,  they  were  not  altogether  unpre 
pared,  hints  having  been  previously  given  them  as  to 
what  was  about  to  happen,  and,  by  the  determined  re 
sistance  made  by  them,  they  not  only  succeeded  in 
securing  their  own  safety,  but  completely  defeated  the 
enemy.  The  loss  on  Mr.  Harm's  side  was  only  a  single 
native  attendant,  who  was  killed  near  to  the  mission 
ary's  wagon  previous  to  the  commencement  of  the 
fight,  whereas  that  of  the  Ovampo  was  very  considera 
ble,  many  being  either  killed  or  wounded  ;  and  among 
the  former  one  of  the  sons  of  Nangoro.  Nangoro  him 
self,  moreover,  is  reported  to  have  met  his  death  on 
this  occasion  (a  statement  at  variance  with  the  general 
impression,  as  elsewhere  stated,  that  he  came  to  his 
end  by  foul  means),  for  although  not  present  at  the 
fight,  yet  on  hearing  the  repeated  discharges  of  fire 
arms  he  became  so  excited  and  terrified. that  he  dropped 
down  dead.  It  was  supposed  that  the  assailants  of  the 
European  party  numbered  at  least  six  hundred  fighting 


DISPOSITION.  225 

men,  all  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  assegais,  and 
"  knob-keerie,"  while  the  travellers  could  only  muster 
thirteen  capable  of  opposing  the  enemy.  The  victory 
gained  by  them  was,  therefore,  truly  wonderful,  and 
deserving  of  being  chronicled  among  other  heroic  deeds. 


10* 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Lung-sickness — Symptoms  of  the  disease — Inoculation  said  to  be  a  pre 
ventive—The  virus — Inoculation  not  always  effective — Cure  of  the 
disease — Periods  at  which  horses  are  liable  to  be  attacked — Flesh 
of  infected  cattle — Refutation  of  Dr.  Livingstone — Origin  of  the  dis 
ease  unknown. 

A  WORD  now  regarding  the  so-called  "lung-sick 
ness  "  (pleuromonia),  to  which  occasional  allusion 
has  been  made  in  these  pages,  as  also  in  "  Lake  N'gami," 
that  is  so  terribly  fatal  to  both  tame  and  wild  animals 
in  Southern  Africa,  and  which,  unless  an  effectual 
remedy  be  applied  on  the  first  symptoms  appearing, 
almost  invariably  e»ds  in  death.  It  seems  to  me  that 
this  insidious  disease  bears  some  affinity  to  the  dreaded 
"  rinderpest "  which  of  late  years  has  so  ravaged  Eng 
land  and  other  European  countries,  in  which  case  some 
useful  hints  may  be  gained  by  learning  the  treatment 
resorted  to  in  Damaraland  and  the  adjacent  regions  for 
the  cure  of  the  "  lung-sickness."  I  have  therefore 
thought  it  right  to  subjoin  the  result  of  my  own  ex 
periences,  which  have  not  been  few,  regarding  this  dis 
ease.  And  I  speak  with  some  authority,  as  during  my 
long  sojourn  at  Otjimbingue,  I  myself  have  possessed 
very  large  herds  of  horned  cattle,  and  unfortunately 
lost  upward  of  two  thousand  by  "  lung-sickness." 

The  outward  symptoms  of  pleuromonia   are :    The 
infected  beast  loses  his  appetite,  his  breathing  becomes 


LUNG-SICKNESS.  22/ 

hard  and  labored,  he  is  seized  with  a  short,  dry  cough, 
the  hair  becomes  partially  raised,  and  has  a  rough  and 
ruffled  appearance,  just  like  that  of  cattle  on  a  cold  morn 
ing.  As  the  disease  increases  in  violence,  the  beast, 
no  longer  able  to  support  himself,  lies  down,  too  often 
to  rise  no  more  ;  the  breathing  becomes  more  difficult, 
the  cough  more  frequent,  a  frothy  matter  exudes  from 
his  mouth  and  nostrils,  and  the  eyes  close  as  if  in  sleep. 
When  the  disease  has  arrived  at  this  stage,  no  known 
remedy  can  possibly  restore  the  poor  creature  ;  he  is 
then  abandoned  to  his  fate  or  the  butcher's  knife. 
When  not  quite  so  far  gone,  however,  it  occasionally 
happens  that  he  recovers  from  his  desperate  condition, 
in  which  case  he  may  be  considered  safe  for  life,  only 
he  is  much  weakened,  and  will  never  be  himself  again. 
This  is  especially  observable  in  "  draught  oxen."  If 
such  be  slaughtered,  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  the 
whole  of  one  lung,  and  perhaps  half  of  the  other, 
destroyed.  I  have  known  an  ox  on  one  occasion  to 
remain  without  eating  and  drinking  for  twenty-one 
days,  and  afterward  recover ;  but,  generally  speak 
ing,  a  week,  or  at  the  outside,  a  fortnight,  will  decide 
his  fate.  If  the  attack  be  severe,  he  never  eats  during 
the  while,  but  occasionally  sips  a  mouthful  of  water, 
which  is  always  placed  within  his  reach. 

To  the  best  of  my  belief  this  insidious  disease  may 
be  present  in  the  blood  for  weeks,  nay,  months,  before 
there  is  the  slightest  outward  appearance  of  sickness  ; 
and  I  am  led  to  this  conclusion  from  the  fact  that  when, 
after  perhaps  only  a  few  days'  illness,  the  infected 
beast  dies,  it  will  be  found  on  dissection  that  more  than 
half  of  the  lung  is  gone,  which  never  could  have  occurred 


228  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

in  so  short  a  time.  Then,  again,  it  is  confidently 
asserted  that,  on  the  first  breaking  out  of  "  lung-sick 
ness"  in  a  hitherto  untainted  district,  it  will  not  unfre- 
quently  be  found,  on  carefully  tracing  it  to  its  origin, 
that  many  weeks  have  elapsed  since  the  cattle — the 
presumed  cause  of  the  epidemic — passed  through  it. 

As  a  preventive  for  the  disease  in  question,  or,  as 
many  believe,  a  cure  for  it  when  had  recourse  to  in  its 
early  stages,  inoculation,  on  the  same  principle  as  with 
human  beings,  is  very  largely  practised  in  Southern 
Africa ;  the  success  of  the  operation,  however,  much 
depending  on  the  manner  in  which  it  is  performed,  and 
the  quality  of  the  virus  employed.  Of  the  latter,  I 
have  seen  people  use  such  as  had  been  obtained  from 
cattle  that  had  died  of  the  disorder  in  question  ;  but 
this,  I  consider,  was  highly  injudicious,  and  even  dan 
gerous.  In  my  own  case,  it  was  always  procured  from 
the  lung  of  an  ox  in  the  first  stage  of  the  malady,  that 
was  killed  for  the  special  purpose,  care  being  taken  that 
no  blood  or  other  extraneous  matter  was  mingled  with 
the  lung  itself,  which  is  found  partly  imbedded  in,  and 
imbued  with,  a  certain  liquid — in  short,  the  virus.  Such 
portion  of  this  and  of  the  lung  as  may  be  required  is 
removed  and  placed  in  a  large-mouthed  bottle,  or  other 
vessel,  carefully  excluding  the  air.  In  a  hot  climate 
such  as  Damaraland,  virus  should  never  be  used  more 
than  a  week  old  ;  I,  for  my  part,  indeed,  never  ventured 
to  employ  any  that  exceeded  half  that  age.  The  best 
virus  has  a  clear,  transparent,  yellow  look. 

Various  plans  for  applying  the  virus  are  adopted. 
Thus  some  people,  after  cutting  a  portion  of  the  lung 
of  an  ox  that  has  died  of  pleuromonia  into  small  bits, 


AN  OPERATION.  22Q 

will  insert  one  of  these  into  some  part  of  the  body  of 
the  animal  under  treatment  for  that  disease,  while 
others  will  only  dip  a  piece  of  twine  or  thread  in  the 
liquid,  and  afterward  apply  it  in  a  similar  way.  There 
are  those,  again,  who  prefer  administering  a  wine-glass 
ful  of  the  liquor  internally.  My  own  plan,  which  cer 
tainly  was  as  successful  as  that  adopted  by  my  neigh 
bors,  was  to  pour  a  small  quantity  of  lung-liquid  into  a 
small,  flat  dish,  in  which  I  further  put  a  number  of 
single-stranded  cotton  wicks,  two  or  three  inches  in 
length.  One  or  two  places  are  chiefly  selected  for 
operating  upon  in  an  infected  beast — viz.,  the  tail  and 
the  dewlap.  For  my  part  I  preferred  the  former,  as 
being  more  distant  from  the  vital  parts,  for  it  not  un~ 
frequently  happens  that  the  virus,  if  too  strong,  or  too 
plentifully  administered  under  certain  circumstances, 
say,  for  instance,  in  hot  and  sultry  weather,  will  kill 
instead  of  cure.  This  is  especially  the  case  when  the 
animal  is  already  tainted  with  the  disorder. 

All  things  being  in  readiness  for  the  operation,  the 
ox  is  secured  (with  native  cattle  not  unfrequently  both 
a  difficult  and  dangerous  operation),  one  of  the  cotton 
strings  just  spoken  of,  after  being  knotted  at  the  end,  is 
then  reeved  through  the  eye  of  a  moderately  large  sail- 
maker's  needle,  which  is  afterward  passed  through  the 
tail  within  three  or  four  inches  of  the  extremity,  care 
being  taken  not  to  touch  the  bone.  The  needle  is  now 
withdrawn,  the  thread  being  left,  having  first  been  run 
forward  and  backward  several  times  through  the  small 
orifice  made  by  the  needle,  so  as  to  make  sure  that  the 
virus  has  come  in  full  contact  with  the  blood.  The 
time  required  for  it  to  take  effect  varies  according  to 


530  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

circumstances  and  climate,  but  usually  from  four  to  fif 
teen  days  elapse.  There  are  those  who  insist  on  a  fixed 
period  ;  but  this  is  absurd,  and  shows  that  the  men  who 
advocate  so  senseless  a  theory  know  very  little  of  what 
they  are  talking  about.  The  only  safe  way  of  ascertain 
ing  the  point  is  to  examine  the  tail  a  few  days  after  it 
has  been  operated  upon.  The  signs  of  its  proper  ripe 
ness  are  a  swelling  and  a  slight  exudation  of  yellow 
matter,  resembling  the  virus.  When  such  is  the  case, 
this  is  supposed  to  have  done  its  work,  i.  e.t  spread  over 
the  system  and  returned  whence  it  came.  Most  people 
deem  it  necessary  to  cut  off  the  tail  a  few  inches  above 
the  spot  where  the  needle  was  passed  through  it  ;  but 
others  merely  scarify  it.  It  is,  I  believe,  safest  to  adopt 
the  former  course,  though  you  thereby  deprive  the 
poor  beast  of  his  only  means  of  defence  against  torment 
ing  flies.  It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  the  tail  has 
to  be  cut  once,  twice,  and  even  a  third  time,  so  that 
nothing  but  the  merest  stump  remains,  giving  the  brute 
a  curious  foreshortened  appearance. 

Contemporary  with  the  thickness  of  the  cauda  there 
frequently  appears  on  one  or  both  sides  of  the  basis  or 
root  of  the  tail  a  swelling,  or  lump,  as  if  caused  by  a 
musket  ball  that  had  passed  through  the  body  of  the 
animal,  and  lodged  on  the  opposite  side,  just  within  the 
skin.  The  instant  this  protuberance  is  observed,  a 
knife  must  be  drawn  across  it,  and  a  finger  or  two  in 
serted  within  the  aperture,  when,  by  a  little  humoring, 
a  small  round  or  oval  kernel,  of  a  hard,  compact  sub 
stance,  is  extracted.  The  utmost  vigilance  should  be 
exerted  in  discovering  these  "  balls,"  or  they  will  cause 
infinite  trouble,  and  perhaps  the  death  of  the  beast  ; 


VACCINATION.  231 

for,  after  a  very  short  time  they  identify  themselves,  so 
to  say,  with  the  surrounding  flesh,  which  in  a  few  days 
grows  hard  and  cancer-like.  The  "  balls  "  in  question 
must  be  removed  at  all  hazards  ;  in  short,  the  knife 
should  be  freely  used  daily,  for  the  swelling  not  unfre- 
quently  spreads  over  one  or  both  of  the  hind  quarters, 
passing  downward  into  the  legs,  and  in  a  few  days  lame 
ness  ensues,  and  with  it  the  fate  of  the  beast  is  sealed. 
A  merciful  master  will  no  longer  hope  against  hope, 
but  shorten  the  poor  animal's  sufferings  by  instant 
death.  The  wounds  are  cleansed  at  least  once  a  day. 
Pails  of  fresh  water  and  a  solution  of  common  salt 
should  always  be  held  in  readiness  for  the  purpose. 
Sulphate  of  potash  is  also  used,  but  is  more  expensive, 
and  certainly  not  more  efficacious  than  common  nitrate 
caustic  of  some  kind — none  is  cheaper  or  more  to  the 
purpose  than  bluestone  or  blue  vitrol — which  should 
likewise  be  freely  employed. 

Though  vaccination  is  generally  successful,  still  it 
often  happens  that  the  beast  dies  after  the  operation 
has  been  performed,  and  after  the  virus  has  apparently 
taken  proper  effect.  And  yet  this  could  not  well  have 
been  the  case  ;  in  short,  the  disease  must  already  have 
made  such  progress  when  the  preventive  was  applied  as 
to  frustrate  its  intended  purpose,  or  it  may  be  that  the 
two — the  disease  and  the  virus — were  for  a  time  con 
tending,  as  it  were,  for  mastery,  and  that  finally  the 
disease  got  the  upper  hand.  Only  in  this  way  can  I 
explain  the  matter.  Doctors  may  say,  "  You  have 
perhaps  used  bad  virus,  and  if  so  it  was  quite  sufficient 
to  annul  the  intended  effect."  I  will  not  gainsay 
that  this,  in  some  instances,  may  have  been  the 


232  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

case  with  others,  but,  from  the  terrible  losses  suffered 
by  me  within  the  past  two  years,  hardly  as  regards  my 
self,  as  I  have  been  most  cautious  in  the  selection  of  the 
matter  employed. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
inoculation  of  cattle  and  its  attendant  cares  are  most 
trying  and  laborious.  It  is,  indeed,  impossible  to  realize 
this  severe  and  harassing  duty  unless  one  has  person 
ally  witnessed  it.  It  taxes  a  person's  utmost  patience, 
strength,  and  health.  I  have  had  as  many  as  two  hun 
dred  head  of  wild  cattle  to  attend  to  daily  for  many 
consecutive  months,  besides  a  host  of  other  equally 
important  duties. 

This  disorder  also  occurs  among  horses,  when  it  is 
called  "  Peripneumonia  ;  "  but  whether  it  is  of  a  pre 
cisely  similar  nature  as  that  to  which  horned  cattle  are 
subject,  I  am  not  prepared  to  say.  Many  of  the  symp 
toms  are  certainly  similar ;  but  with  horses  the  disease 
is  far  more  rapid  and  terrible  in  its  effects,  the  animal 
seldom  surviving  more  than  twenty-four  hours  after  the 
first  attack.  If  it  does  it  will  probably  recover  ;  but  if 
only  mildly  attacked  it  will  be  liable  to  the  disease 
again  and  again,  and  may  finally  die  of  it.  It  is  further 
to  be  remarked  that,  unlike  "  lung-sickness  "  with  cat 
tle,  who  are  liable  to  the  disease  under  all  circum 
stances  and  in  all  places,  there  are  certain  localities  in 
certain  countries  where  horses  are  altogether  free  from 
the  scourge.  These  are  generally  high  plateaus  in 
mountainous  regions  situated  at  a  considerable  eleva 
tion  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Moreover,  it  is  only  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year  that  horses  are  liable  to  it. 
Thus  in  Damaraland  they  are  quite  safe  from  June  to 


FLESH    OF   LUNG-SICK   CATTLE.  233 

October,  and  even  as  late  as  November  and  December. 
Sheep  and  goats,  as  well  as  horned  cattle,  die  of  "  lung- 
sickness,"  though  only  occasionally,  as  it  would  appear. 
With  these  animals,  however,  the  disease  would  seem 
to  be  of  a  less  infectious  nature.  In  short,  one  or  two 
may  perish  out  of  a  flock,  leaving  the  rest  untouched. 

The  epidemic  in  question  also  occurs  among  certain 
wild  animals,  and  mostly  during  dry  and  arid  years,  but 
it  seldom,  so  far  as  I  myself  have  observed,  proves 
fatal  to  any  very  serious  extent.  Dr.  Livingstone, 
however,  tells  a  very  different  story.  "  During  our 
stay  at  Chonuane,"  he  writes,  "  a  number  of  tolos,  or 
koodoos,  were  attracted  to  the  gardens  of  the  Bakwains, 
abandoned  at  the  usual  period  of  harvest,  because  there 
was  no  prospect  of  the  corn  (Holcus  Sorghuiti)  bearing 
that  year.  The  koodoo  is  remarkably  fond  of  the  green 
stalks  of  this  kind  of  millet.  The  feeding  produces 
that  state  of  fatness  favorable  for  the  development  of 
the  disease,  and  no  fewer  than  twenty-five  died  on  the 
hill  opposite  our  house.  Great  numbers  of  gnus  and 
zebras  perished  from  the  same  cause." 

The  flesh  of  cattle  that  have  been  slaughtered  for 
the  "  lung-sickness,"  I  should  remark  in  parenthesis, 
may  be  eaten  with  perfect  impunity,  at  least  in  South 
ern  Africa.  For  more  than  two  years  hardly  anything 
else  appeared  on  my  table,  and  in  no  one  instance  has 
any  disagreeable  consequence  followed.  Probably  the 
strength  of  the  poison  is  destroyed  by  cooking.  The 
only  parts  we  avoided  were  the  ribs,  to  which  the  dis 
eased  lungs  were  more  or  less  attached.  And  even 
these  parts,  as  well  as  the  lung  itself,  were  consumed 
by  my  native  servants  and  the  dogs  without  any  inju- 


234  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

rious  effects.  The  experience  of  my  neighbors  was  the 
same,  and  remains  so  to  this  day.  "  Lung-sick  "  meat, 
T  should  add,  is  easily  detected  by  a  yellowish  fluid  and 
little  pimples  of  the  same  color  disseminated  through 
out  it.  To  a  practised  eye  these  become  apparent  even 
in  the  flesh  of  cattle  slaughtered  before  the  disease  has 
had  time  seriously  to  affect  their  health. 

I  had  written  thus  far  when  I  recollected  having 
read  something  on  the  same  subject  in  Livingstone's 
first  work,  and,  on  referring  to  it,  found  to  my  utter 
astonishment  the  following  paragraph,  a  direct  contra-r 
diction,  as  will  be  seen,  to  what  I  have  just  stated. 

"  When  the  flesh  of  animals,"  writes  the  famous  ex 
plorer,  "  that  have  died  of  this  disease  is  eaten,  it  causes 
a  malignant  carbuncle,  which  when  it  appears  over  any 
important  organ  proves  rapidly  fatal.  It  is  more  espe 
cially  dangerous  over  the  pit  of  the  stomach.  The  effects 
of  the  poison  have  been  experienced  by  missionaries 
who  had  eaten  properly  cooked  food,  the  flesh  of  sheep 
really,  but  not  visibly,  affected  by  the  disease.  The 
virus  in  the  flesh  of  the  animal  is  destroyed  neither  by 
boiling  nor  roasting.  The  fact,  of  which  we  had  innumer 
able  examples,  shows  the  superiority  of  experiments 
on  a  large  scale  to  those  of  acute  and  able  physiologists 
and  chemists  in  the  laboratory  ;  for  a  well-known  phy 
sician  in  Paris,  after  careful  investigation,  considered 
that  the  virus  in  such  cases  was  completely  neutralized 
by  boiling." 

However  much  the  practical  Doctor  may  sneer  at 
results  obtained  in  the  laboratory,  it  will  be  seen  by 
what  he  says  that  the  physiologists  and  chemists  are  on 
my  side;  the  reader  must  therefore  judge  for  himself 


EFFECT  OF   LUNG-SICKNESS.  235 

whether  mine  or  the  great  traveller's  statement  as  to 
the  wholesomeness  of  the  meat  of  animals  that  have 
suffered  from  "  lung-sickness"  is  the  correct  one. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  remark  that  the  true  cause 
of  this  epidemic,  as  well  as  that  of  the  "  rinderpest,"  is 
unknown,  and  although  innumerable  speculations  have 
been  hazarded  on  the  subject,  it  would  seem  we  are  as 
far  from  the  truth  at  the  present  day  as  when  these 
terrible  scourges  first  appeared.  I  would  further  observe 
that  so  powerful  is  the  poison  of  the  "lung-sickness," 
that  when  the  animal's  body  has  been  fully  imbued  with 
it,  its  hide  suffers  seriously,  its  strength  and  durability 
being  in  a  great  measure  gone. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

Ovampoland — Missionary  labor — Rev.  Mr.  Harm's  reception — Prospects 
of  success — Difficulties  to  contend  with — Civilization  and  Evangel 
ization — Deceitfulness  of  the  native  character — Labors  of  the  mis 
sionary — Enthusiasm  in  Germany. 

IT  was  stated  in  a  recent  chapter  as  probable  that 
Ovampoland  would  shortly  have  the  benefit  of 
missionary  labor.  Not  very  long  before  my  visit  to 
Ondonga,  indeed,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hahn,  whose  station  is 
Otjimbingue,  had  been  there  for  the  express  object  of 
ascertaining  the  suitability  of  that  country  for  the  pur 
pose,  and  returned  home  quite  charmed  with  what  he 
had  seen  and  experienced,  and  full  of  enthusiasm  for 
these  benighted  lands.  Chykongo,  the  paramount  chief 
of  the  Ovampo,  as  well  as  the  chiefs  of  neighboring 
regions,  had  not  only  received  him  well,  but  had  ex 
pressed  a  desire  for  teachers  of  the  new  religion,  and 
presented  him  with  ground  for  building  and  agricultural 
purposes;  so  that  my  friend,  at  once  put  himself*  in 
communication  with  a  missionary  society  in  Finland, 
which  would  appear  to  conduct  their  labors  on  much 
the  same  principle  as  the  Rhenish  Society,  or  that  to 
which  Mr.  Hahn  himself  is  attached. 

My  own  first  impressions  were  favorable  to  the 
establishment  of  a  mission  in  Ondonga.  but  on  more 
mature  reflection  I  must  say  I  consider  the  prospect 
of  success  is,  at  the  best,  very  doubtful.  First,  there  is 


RELIGIOUS  MISSIONS.  237 

the  fever  to  contend  with,  and  though  that  difficulty 
may  possibly  be  overcome,  as  it  has  been  in  other  parts 
of  the  world,  by  a  great  sacrifice  of  life,  still  it  must 
always  remain  a  very  serious  drawback  ;  then  the  very 
ease,  good-nature,  and  good-humor  of  the  inhabitants 
are  likely  to  prove  stumbling-blocks,  devoid  as  they  are 
of  all  interest  and  enthusiasm  for  anything  but  beer- 
drinking,  barter,  and  cattle-lifting.  At  first,  from  the 
novelty  of  the  thing,  there  may,  and  probably  will  be, 
a  slight  show  of  success  ;  but  gradually,  it  is  to  be 
feared,  the  work  will  languish  for  want  of  proper  sup 
port,  and  ultimately,  perhaps,  die  a  natural  death,  as 
many  similar  enterprises  have  done  before  it. 

Now  that  I  am  on  the  subject  of  religious  missions, 
a  few  words  from  an  impartial  pen  in  regard  to  those  in 
Southern  Africa  may  not  be  without  interest  to  the 
reader.  That  the  missionaries  do  much  good  it  is 
impossible  to  deny,  though  the  good  they  effect  is,  in 
reality,  quite  different  from  that  which  a  large  portion 
of  those  worthy  men  imagine.  Thus,  instead  of  evan 
gelizing  the  natives  (only  a  very  small  portion  at  least), 
they  are  civilizing  them,  which,  although  not  the  ulterior 
object,  I  consider  a  grand  achievement.  They  are  far 
too  fond  of  making  the  two — evangelization  and  civili 
zation — go  hand  in  hand,  and  use  their  best  endeavors 
to  let  the  former  precede  the  latter,  which,  to  my  mind, 
is  the  greatest  possible  mistake.  Of  late  years,  how 
ever,  it  must  be  admitted,  they  have  somewhat  changed 
their  tactics,  and  the  effects  for  the  better  are  quite 
apparent.  I  have  often  put  the  question  to  missionaries, 
as  I  do  now  to  every  intelligent  reader,  how  is  it  possi 
ble  to  make  a  degraded  savage— a  being  too  frequently 


238  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

very  little  elevated  above  the  brute  creation — one  who 
has  no  other  thought  or  desire  but  how  he  shall  fill  his 
belly,  ease  his  neighbor  of  his  cattle,  and  so  forth — how 
is  it  possible,  I  would  ask,  to  succeed  in  making  such 
an  ignorant  being  understand  and  realize  the  mysterious 
doctrines  of  Faith,  Justification,  and  Salvation  ?  Surely 
it  will  be  necessary  first  to  raise  such  a  wretch  from  his 
beastly  degradation  ;  to  show  him  the  way,  and  grad 
ually  provide  him  with  the  means  of  earning  an  honest 
living  by  his  own  exertions  and  ingenuity  ;  to  teach  him 
that  the  good  things  of  this  world  were  given  for  our 
use,  and  not  abuse  ;  to  show  him  that  filth  and  filthy 
habits  are  an  abomination,  and  that  cleanliness  and 
comforts  are  really  things  worthy  of  being  acquired  ;  to 
teach  his  children  to  read  and  write  ;  in  short,  to  incul 
cate  habits  of  cleanliness  and  industry,  to  give  him  cor 
rect  notions  of  "  meum  "  and  "  tuum,"  to  prove  to  him 
that  instruction  and  education  are  superior  to  wealth. 
I  say,  first  do  all  these  things,  and  there  is  some  chance 
of  ultimately  evangelizing  these  benighted  nations. 

If  the  missionary  persists  in  pursuing  a  different 
course  ;  if,  in  his  anxiety  to  be  able  to  report  favorably 
of  his  congregation — and  what  pastor  has  not  that  ambi 
tion? — if,  in  short,  he  insists  upon  making  Christians  of 
his  rude  listeners  before  they  are  civilized,  what  will  be 
the  consequence  ?  I  would  tell  him,  they  will  be  Chris 
tians  in  appearance,  while  in  heart  they  are  hypocrites. 
And  I  regret  to  say  that  this  is  my  experience  of  more 
than  one  mission  in  South  Africa.  The  native  is  by 
nature  oily  and  cunning;  he  soon  finds  that  in  order  to 
keep  in  the  good  graces  of  his  teacher  it  will  be  neces 
sary  for  him  to  accommodate  himself  to  his  wishes  ;  he 


INSINCERITY   ON   THE   NATIVES.  239 

learns  ^quickly  and  glibly  to  quote  Scripture;  to  have 
Christ's  name  mixed  up  with  every  second  sentence  he 
.utters;  to  say,  "  If  it  pleases  God,"  "  If  I  am  spared  to 
live,"  no  matter  how  trivial  the  occasion.     And  thus  the 
worthy  missionary,  ay,  even  the  most  practical,  is,  with- 
out  a  direct  fault  of  his  own,  too  often  wofully  imposed 
upon.     The  very  honesty  of  the  man  proves  the  rock  on 
which  his  best  hopes  and  aspirations  -suffer  shipwreck. 
Why  do  we  so  often  hear  of  missionaries  dying  prema 
turely  ?     The  cause  is  not  always  disease,  suffering,  or 
hardship,  but  they  die  of  a  broken  heart,  having  at  the 
eleventh    hour   discovered    the    hollowness   and    insin 
cerity  of  those  members  of  their  little  congregations  in 
whom  they  perhaps  most  confided.     I  have  known  such 
men.* 

If  you  ask  one  of  these  worthy  men,  "  Well,  I  hear 
you  have  got  another  convert  ;  what  of  him,  do  you 
really  think  he  is  a  Christian  ?  "  "  Oh  yes,  he  is."  "  But 
how  can  you  tell  ?  "  Of  course  he  will  say,  "  His  prac 
tices  are  a  test  of  his  character."  "But  how  are  you 
to  know  what  he  says  and  does,  you  cannot  always  be 
present?  «  No,  true;  but  what  I  cannot  see  and 
hear,  others  do  for  me.  Besides,  his  own  countrymen, 
n  a  kind  of  jealousy  of  his  new  privileges  and  exalted 

*  Dr.  Livingstone,  ever  candid   and   practical,  writes  as  follows  — 
On  asking  an  intelligent  chief  what  he  thought  of  them  (alluding  to 
ome  native  Christians),  he  replied..  «  You  white  men  have  no  idea  how 
wicked   we    are;  we  know  each  other  better  than  you  do  ;  some  fei™ 
ef  to  ingratiate  themselves  with  the  missionaries  ;  some  profess  ChrL 
"ty  because  they  like  the  new  system,  which  gives  so  much  more  im- 
tance  to  the  poor,  and  desire  that  the  old  system  may  pass  away  ;  and 
^  nUmber~Profess  Because   they  are  reaDy  true 


240       '  NOTES  OF   TRAVEL. 

rank,  keep  a  close  eye  on  his  movements."  What  short 
sighted  mortals  we  are  !  A  hypocrite  will  always  find 
means  of  deceiving  both  friend  and  foe.  The  more  you 
watch  him,  the  more  he  watches  you.  In  my  own  hum 
ble  opinion,  a  far  surer  test  of  the  sincerity  and  reality 
of  the  Christian  converts'  faith  would  be  their  conduct 
when,  after  a  few  probationary  years,  they  were  dis 
tributed  over  the  neighboring  country,  instead  of  being 
always  kept  together  in  one  spot,  as  is  now  the  invaria 
ble  custom  with  missionaries.  For,  as  it  has  been  truly 
said,  "  unless  habits  of  self-reliance  are  cultivated,  and 
opportunities  given  for  the  exercise  of  that  virtue,  the 
most  promising  converts  are  apt  to  become  like  spoiled 
children." 

I  shall  probably  draw  down  on  myself  very  severe 
censure  for  this  unreserved  statement ;  and  there  may 
be  those  who  will  negative  its  truth  altogether,  but  it  is 
the  fact.     And  I  speak  with  some  authority,  from  hav 
ing  had  considerable  dealings  with  the  soi-disant  con 
verts  in  question  ;  and  I  should  have  no  difficulty,  were 
it  needful,  to  find  numbers  of  people  to  bear  me  out  in 
what  I  have  said.     It  must  not,  however,  be  supposed 
for  a  moment  that  I  bear  ill-will  toward  the  mission 
aries  ;  on  the  contrary,  these  worthy  men  have  my  best 
wishes  ;  and  it  is  because  I  mean  them  well  that  I  now 
run  the  risk  of  being  misunderstood,  and  perhaps  abused. 
Were  I  not  interested  in  their  success,  I  should  proba 
bly  not   care  to  expose  their  weak  points.     Those  who 
know  me  will  acknowledge,  I  hope,  that  I  have  always 
been   a   friend  to   missionary  institutions,  in  deeds  as 
well   as   words,    and   that  consequently   I   make    this 
disclosure  from  no  ill-will  to  them. 


MISSIONARY   LABORS.  241 

A  stranger  on  arriving  at  a  station  that  has  been 
Jtablished  for  some  time  in  the  distant  interior,  I  would 
remark  in  parenthesis,  can  form  no  idea  of  the  tremen 
dous  efforts  and  the  immense  amount  of  manual  labor 
that  it  has  probably  cost  the  founder  in  its  erection  and 
construction.     Every  stone,  every   piece  of  timber  in 
those    substantial    buildings,  has    been  fashioned    and 
placed    in    its   proper  place    by  him  solely ;    that  fine 
piece  of  garden  ground  has  all  been  dug  and  planted  by 
the  same  hand  ;  that  stout  cattle  pen,  that  magnificent 
well   has  been  raised  and  dug  by  his  own  good  right 
arm  ;    nay  more,  the  materials  had    frequently  to    be 
brought   from   a  considerable  distance.     All  this,   and 
much  more  of  the  same  kind,  this  toilsome  man  has 
accomplished,  besides  acquiring  the  language,  teachino- 
the  children,  attending  to  the  sick  and  needy,  compost 
ing  sermons,  being  present  at  frequent  prayer. meetings, 
giving  advice,  and  holding  consultations  with  the  chief 
and  strangers,  and  so  forth.     And  it  must  not  be  sup 
posed  that  his  helpmate  is  idle  meanwhile.     Her  duties 
are  hardly  less  trying  and  laborious.     She  prepares  the 
corn,  makes  the  bread,  churns,  washes  and  irons  the 
linen,   attends   to  her   own  children,  if  there  be  any 
visits  and  nurses  the  needy,  helpless,  and  sick,  instructs 
the   infants,  teaches  the  girls  to  sew,  and  a  hundred 
other   offices    requiring  time,  patience,   strength,   and 
health.     And  the  result  of  all  this  is  too  frequently  pre 
mature  old  age.     I  have  seen  more  than  one  blooming 
missionary  bride  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  lose  the 
roses  from  her  cheeks  entirely,  her  once  elastic  step  had 
become  measured  and  languid,  the  eye  has  lacked  lustre, 
and  the  whole  form  bowed  and  altered  wofully.     And. 


242  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

yet  you  will  never  hear  a  word  of  complaint  from  these 
patient  and  self-sacrificing  women,  who  in  their  great 
est  troubles  have  always  a  kind  word  for  the  stranger, 
smilingly  inviting  him  to  a  seat  at  the  hospitable  board. 
One  sees  that  it  is  not  the  possession  of  either  silver  or 
gold  which  supports  them  so  nobly  ;  they  feel  that  if 
there  is  a  reward  for  their  patience  and  self-immola 
tion,  it  is  in  a  hereafter.  Truly  I  envy  them  their  con- 
tentedness  and  cheerfulness. 

With  missionaries  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
Cape  Colony,  or  on  stations  that  have  been  long  estab 
lished,  and  have  easy  access  to  civilized  life,  the  thing 
is  widely  different,  as  they  may  be  said  to  lead  a  life  of 
comparative  ease  and  comfort. 

The  children  of  missionaries,  at  least  of  the  Rhe 
nish  Society,  are  educated  in  Germany  at  the  expense  of 
the  society,  and  at  the  death  of  the  head  of  the  house 
the  widow  is  pensioned  off  with  a  small  allowance,  very 
insufficient,  as  I  believe,  for  her  necessities  ;  the  rather 
as  from  thenceforward  she  has  to  shift  for  herself  in 
every  way.  It  must  be  very  hard  in  old  age,  not  only 
to  lose  a  husband,  but  to  be  ousted  from  under  the  very 
roof  raised,  perhaps,  by  the  beloved  one,  and  made 
comfortable  by  her  own  thrifty  housewifery.  Under 
the  present  system,  stations  are  called  "  missionary 
property,"  a  misnomer  certainly! 

The  missionaries,  when  settled  beyond  the  pale  of 
civilization,  are  almost  entirely  dependent  on  the  na 
tives  for  their  supply  of  animal  food  ;  and  as  money  is 
generally  unknown  in  such  places,  they  have  recourse 
to  barter  for  obtaining  the  needful  supplies.  I  believe 
it  was  originally  forbidden  the  members  of  the  Rhenish 


MISSIONARY   TRADING.  243 

Society  to  obtain  by  barter  more  cattle  than  was  abso 
lutely  necessary  for  their  own  support.  Of  late  years, 
however,  this  regulation  has  been  less  strictly  adhered 
to,  and  many  missionaries  at  the  present  day  increase 
their  too  often  insufficient  incomes,  not  only  by  trading 
with  the  natives,  but  by  following  certain  trades,  such 
as  those  of  wagon-makers,  blacksmiths,  and  the  like, 
whereby,  they  say,  the  societies  to  which  they  belong 
are  enabled  to  extend  their.influence,  besides  teaching 
the  people  useful  handicrafts,  which  statement,  on  the 
face  of  it,  seems  fair  enough. 

But,  as  regards  trading,  the  opinion  of  people  in 
Southern  Africa  differs  greatly.  One  often,  indeed, 
hears  the  question  asked,  "  What  have  missionaries  to 
do  with  trade  ?  They  have  enough  to  live  upon  with 
out  depriving  other  men  of  their  bread  ;  "  or,  "  What 
becomes  of  the  enormous  sums  subscribed  for  their 
use  ?  "  Missionaries  being  allowed  to  trade,  in  short, 
causes  much  bad  blood  among  many  of  the  European 
settlers  at  least.  I  myself  do  not  agree  with  those  who 
would  prevent  these  men  from  trading.  Indeed,  I  don't 
see  how  they  could  well  exist  without  it ;  but  this  I 
would  say,  do  not  allow  them  to  conduct  the  business 
in  person,  but  leave  it  to  their  wives,  or  other  responsi 
ble  persons. 

Trade  and  barter,  in  the  course  of  time,  are  apt  to 
taint  the  least  selfish  and  honorable  mind  with  a  feeling 
of  avarice,  or  a  desire  to  accumulate  money,  At  first, 
moderate  profit  may  suffice,  but  eventually,  perhaps,  the 
trader  is  induced  to  overstep  the  bounds  of  moderation, 
which  the  wily  native  soon  discovers.  He  is  always 
suspicious,  and  steadily  refuses  to  understand  the  reason 


244  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

why  the  missionary  comes  from  distant  lands  to  settle 
among  strangers.  It  seems  to  him  perfectly  absurd 
that  a  man  should  make  so  long  a  voyage  merely  for 
the  purpose,  as  the  missionary  tells  him,  of  doing  good 
to  their  fellow-men.  In  a  native's  eyes  everything  has 
its  marketable  value.  A  missionary  may  flatter  himself 
that  his  own  good  conduct  and  precepts  will  be  a  test 
of  the  sincerity  of  his  profession  ;  but  once  turned  trader, 
and  four-fifths,  perhaps  more,  of  his  little  congrega 
tion,  will  judge  him  in  that  character,  and  should  they, 
perchance,  find  he  has  been  overreaching  them  in  any 
way,  they  will  thereafter  value  their  spiritual  teaching 
accordingly. 

The  missionary  appears,  under  different  circum 
stances,  in  a  two-fold  character,  as  it  were.  Thus,  in 
Europe,  he  is  the  representative  of  self-abnegation,  self- 
sacrifice,  devotedness,  moral  courage,  and  so  forth,  all 
which  he  really  is.  Who  has  not  seen  immense  crowds, 
such  as  not  even  royalty  could  attract,  rush  to  a  church 
when  it  is  rumored  that  a  missionary  will  preach  ;  a 
very  large  proportion  are  led  there  by  mere  curiosity 
and  a  desire  to  hear  wonderful  tales  of  hunger,  thirst, 
sickness,  or  of  miraculous  escapes  from  savage  beasts 
and  still  more  savage  men.  Abroad— in  South  Africa 
at  least — where  European  settlers  are  numerous,  the 
missionary,  instead  of  being  looked  on  as  a  wonderful 
being,  is  by  many  of  them  viewed  rather  as  an  inter 
loper — one  in  short,  who  has  the  monstrous  audacity  to 
set  right  the  degraded  natives,  and  to  secure  valuable 
lands  that  the  latter  ought  to  have  possessed,  and  so 
forth.  Thus  in  Europe  enormous  sums  are  cheerfully 
subscribed  for  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  among 


THE   MISSIONARY.  245 

savages,  while  abroad,  in  South  Africa  at  least,  the 
poor  missionary,  the  distributor  of  the  money,  is  too 
often  subjected  to  odium  and  suspicion. 

Nothing  is  more  common,  moreover,  than  to  hear 
missionaries  stigmatized  as  "  meddling  politicians."     If 
the  accusation  be  true,  then  nothing  is  more  easy  than 
to  account  satisfactorily  for  such  an  assumption  of  the 
rights  which  they  exercise.     Their  very  social  position 
and  education  compel  them,  as  it  were,  to  such  a  course. 
What   is  more   natural  than   that  the  poor,  degraded 
beings  under  their  patriarchal  rule  should  look  up  to 
them    in    every   emergency    for   advice    and    comfort  ? 
Even   when,  after  years  of  severe  labor  on  the  part  of 
their  teachers,  their   intellects    have    been    cleared    of 
Cimmerian   darkness,  and  raised  perhaps  to  an  equality 
even  with  that   of  their  missionary,  the   old   habit   of 
looking  to  him  for  a  decision  in  every  important  matter 
clings  to   them.     I  have  known  missionaries  who  have 
made  the  most  strenuous  exertions  to  rid  themselves  of 
such  a  duty,  at  least  in  all  that  relates  to  politics,  and 
for  a   short  time  they  may  have  succeeded  ;  they  have 
even  gone  so  far  as  temporarily  to  estrange  themselves 
from  their  congregation  by  their  obsinate  adherence  to 
refuse  advice.     But  what  father  can  resist  the  pleadings 
of  his  child,  when,  with  infantine  confidence  and  rev 
erence,  he  throws  himself  on  his  more  mature   age  and 
experience  for  help  in  difficulties?     And  so  it  is  really 
with  the  missionary  and  his  congregation,  who  stand  in 
the  relation  to  each  other  almost  of  parent  and  children. 
But  the  fact  is  the  neighbors  are  jealous  and  suspicious 
of  his  motives.     Were  he  the  pastor  of  some  European 


246  NOTES'  OF  TRAVEL. 

settlement,  no  such  outcry  or  complaint  would  probably 
be  heard. 

The  South  African  missions  are  very  numerous  ;  more 
so,  some  think,  than  the  country  requires.  Certain  it 
is.  that  from  the  somewhat  different  teaching  at  the  va 
rious  stations  (several  societies  and  sects  being  repre 
sented),  they  prove  a  sad  puzzle  to  such  of  the  converts 
as,  from  circumstances,  are  necessitated  to  remove  from 
one  mission  to  the  other,  as  not  unfrequently  happens 
in  the  more  civilized  districts. 

They — the  missions — which  are  chiefly  German,  are 
very  liberally  supplied,  not'  only  with  funds,  but  with 
ready-made  clothes  ;  none  of  your  slops,  but  good  use 
ful  stuff  that  the  best  of  us  might  wear.  Most  of  the 
missions,  indeed,  annually  receive  chest  upon  chest  of 
these  valuable  contributions,  worth,  probably,  in  the 
aggregate,  many  thousand  pounds  sterling. 

The  Germans,  and  probably  other  continental  peo 
ple  also,  would  appear  to  be  very  enthusiastic  about 
missions,  as  also  very  liberal  contributors  thereto. 
Even  the  lower  classes  freely  take  part  in  the  good 
work.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Hahn  told  me  that  he  himself 
knew  a  poor  girl  to  deposit  in  the  begging  box  a  sum 
which  constituted  the  whole  of  her  savings  during  six 
teen  years  of  severe  labor.  I  remarked  to  him  :  "  Had 
you  no  compunction  in  accepting  of  the  noble  gift  ?  " 
4<  None  whatever,"  my  friend  replied.  He  might  be 
right,  but  I  was  too  blind  to  see  it.  Surely,  the  widow 
offering  her  last  mite,  as  recorded  in  Scripture,  was  not 
meant  as  an  example  to  be  followed.  If  so,  what 
becomes  of  the  maxim,  "  Charity  begins  at  home/ 
God  forbid  that  I  should  sit  in  judgment  on  such 


GERMAN   MISSIONS.  247 

weighty  matters ;  but  when  Christ  commanded  His 
disciples  to  go  into  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to 
the  Gentiles,  he  forbade  them  to  carry  either  scrip  or 
bag,  assuring  them  that  their  Heavenly  Father  would 
provide  for  their  wants.  It  therefore  seems  to  me  that 
a  portion,  at  least,  of  the  stupendous  contributions  now 
raised  in  Europe  for  the  support  of  missions  would  be 
equally  well  spent  at  home. 

The  reverend  gentleman  just  named  mentioned 
another  circumstance,  showing  how  enthusiastic  the 
Germans  are  in  regard  to  missionary  enterprise.  We 
were  talking  of  the  large  debts  that  the  African  societies 
ventured  at  times  to  incur  on  the  strength  of  such 
enthusiasm.  "  Suppose,"  said  I,  "  your  mission  owed 
ten  thousand  pounds  " — a  very  large  sum  in  his  country 
—"  in  what  manner  would  you  clear  yourselves  of  the 
debt,  and  still  continue  your  labors  with*  unabated 
vigor  ?  "  "  Oh  !  "  he  replied,  "  nothing  would  be  easier  ; 
we  should  write  to  some  influential  friend  of  the  mission, 
stating  our  urgent  wants,  and  the  money  would  be 
forthcoming  in  due  time."  Astonishing  ! 

In  concluding  these  few  observations  on  the  South 
African  missions,  I  would  remark  that,  taken  as  a  whole, 
there  are  probably  not  more  respectable  and  worthy 
men  than  the  missionaries  individually.  I  sincerely 
admire  their  courage,  their  devotedness,  their  enthu 
siasm,  their  total  disregard  of  personal  interests.  What 
other  men  would  abandon  home,  friends,  comforts,  in 
short  all  that  renders  existence  valuable  and  pleasant, 
to  bury  themselves  for  life  in  desert  and  pestilential 
places,  among  barbarous  tribes  and  nations,  who,  more 
over,  are  utterly  incapable  of  appreciating  the  sacrifice 


NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

they  have  made,  and  for  which  sacrifice  they,  in  return, 
too  often  receive  only  ignominy,  treachery,  and  perse 
cution,  or  it  may  be  even  death  itself?  Truly,  it  re 
quires  something  like  superhuman  enthusiasm,  and  a 
true  Christian  spirit,  to  enable  them  to  struggle  suc 
cessfully  and  submissively  against  such  a  condition. 
God  speed  and  bless  the  labors  of  the  lonely  mission 
ary  in  his  arduous  path  ! 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Prevalence  of  sickness — Despatch  of  ivory  to  Otjimbingue — Departure  of 
elephant  hunters — Study  of  Portuguese — Attack  of  fever — Birds  shot 
by  natives  with  arrows — Goat  carried  off  by  a  hyena — Ophthalmia — 
Samuel  attacked  by  the  Damaras — New  species  of  storks — Visit  to 
Chykongo — Dr.  Livingstone — A  thief  caught  in  the  act. 

HERE  Andersson's  4<  Notes  of  Travel  "  cease  alto 
gether,  and  henceforth  it  is  only  from  his  Journal, 
which  he  kept  regularly  posted  up  until  within  a  few 
days  of  his  death,  that  we  have  an  account  of  further 
proceedings. — Editor. 

"  JOURNAL. 

"  Monday,  $th  February,  1867. — Palgrave  came  down 
during  the  night ;  looks  very  well ;  does  seem  to  think 
that  getting  Samuel  out  of  the  way  would  be  of  much 
use  ;  but  surely  some  beginning  ought  to  be  matle,  or 
we  have  no  earthly  chance  of  ultimately  bettering  our 
condition. 

"  Tuesday,  yh  February. — Chykongo  (the  chief)  has 
assured  me  he  will  abide  by  his  promise  to  the  Euro 
peans  some  time  ago  in  regard  to  Samuel  and  his 
party.  It  is  now  understood  that  we  withdraw  to  some 
healthier  locality,  while  waiting  the  result  of  this  affair. 
To  go  away  altogether  without  knowing  the  fate  of 
Samuel  (as  far  as  it  can  be  known)  would  be  folly. 
Chykongo  might  prove  treacherous  were  we  gone. 
n* 


25O  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

Many  people  are  sick ;  a  Damara  died  yesterday,  and 
others  are  expected  to  follow.  Raining ;  the  country 
literally  steeped  in  water,  though  here  and  there  dry  ; 
all  the  intervening  parts  are  submerged.  I  don't  won 
der  it  is  unhealthy. 

"  Wednesday,  6th  February. — Went  out  with  Axel 
to  hunt  water-hens  and  procure  eggs ;  succeeded  in  both 
objects.  Rainy  in  the  afternoon. 

"  Thursday,  jth  February. — Poor  Axel  down  with 
fever,  and  I  myself  feel  very  queer.  God  grant  that 
I  may  escape  !  Even  Green  had  an  attack.  Chykongo 
does  not  at  all  like  the  idea  of  withdrawing  all  my  peo 
ple  ;  he  has  taken  a  fancy  to  Een,*  and  is  very  loth  to 
part  with  him,  assuring  me  that  there  shall  be  no  dan 
ger  to  him  or  my  property  from  Samuel.  I  don't  think 
it  will  be  of  any  great  advantage  to  me  to  let  Een  re 
main  ;  but  I  should  wish  to  show  my  appreciation  of 
Chykongo's  kindness  to  white  men  by  acceding  to  his 
wishes.  Have  sold  the  long  rifle  to  Pereira  for  three 
hundred  pounds  of  ivory ;  but  I  shall  make  nothing  by 
the  bargain,  as  sooner  or  later  I  must  order  a  similar 
one  from  England.  I  have  now  more  than  three  thou 
sand  pounds  weight  of  ivory,  which  my  people  have 
collected  in  Ovampoland,  and  hope  that  quantity  will 
be  increased  by  several  hundredweight  before  reaching 
Otjimbingue.  Heavy,  Soaking  rain  all  round. 

"  Friday,  %th  February.  —  Took  another  emetic, 
which  has  caused  me  much  pain.  Could  Green  have 
given  me  too  great  a-dose  ?  Have  made  up  my  mind 
to  remain  here,  and  send  Een  home  with  the  wagons  ; 

*  The  sea-captain  that  Andersson  took  into  his  service  when  in  Goth 
enburg. — ED. 


PREVALENCE   OF   SICKNESS.  2$  I 

I  cannot  say  I  like  the  arrangement,  but  there  is  hardly 
an  alternative. 

"Saturday,  gth  February. — Continue  very  ill;  am 
quite  sure  I  am  suffering  from  some  other  disease  beside 
dysentery.  My  head  aches  dreadfully  ;  have  got  much 
writing  to  do,  but  am  utterly  unfit  for  it,  or,  indeed,  for 
work  of  any  kind. 

"  Monday,  loth  February. — I  am  just  a  little  better  ; 
my  wagons  and  people  are  off.  The  atmosphere  has 
cleared  up  lately  and  I  think  we  are  likely  to  have  fine 
weather  for  awhile.  Axel  continues  poorly.  Palgrave 
arrived  ;  his,  people  are  getting  better. 

"Tuesday,  \2tJi  February.  —  Exceedingly  unwell; 
Palgrave  left.  Chykongo  paid  me  a  visit  yesterday  ;  to 
day  he  sent  me  some  corn,  of  which  I  told  him  I  stood 
in  need,  and  also  a  young  ox. 

"  Wednesday,  I  ^tJi  February. — T—  —  arrived  ;  says 
Een  has  gone  to  Ovaquambo.  The  hunters  talk  of 
finally  breaking  up  their  camp  in  a  day  or  two.  It  is 

high  time  ;  they  are  a  vacillating,  dilatory  set.  H 

returned  ;  he  has  had  an  attack  of  fever  since  he  left, 
and  is  still  weak. 

"  Thursday,  iqth  February. — Signs  of  the  rain  return 
ing  ;  much  thunder  and  lightning  in  the  distance ;  even 
a  little  rain  fell. 

"  Friday,  i$tk  February.—  T ,  H ,  H 

and  Pereira,  started  for  the  hunting  veldt,  and  conse 
quently  I  am  now  alone,  and  fear  I  shall  have  a  long 
and  tedious  time  of  it. 

"Saturday,  \6th  February.— Tormented  to  death  at 
night  by  the  mosquitoes,  and  by  flies  in  the  daytime. 
Spent  a  most  horrid  and  restless  night  ;  in  fact,  sleep 


NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

was  out  of  the  question,  and  I  therefore  sat  up  to  read 
and  write.  Have  taken  up  a  Portuguese  Grammar,  to 
gether  with  a  Dictionary  obtained  from  Palgrave.  It 
does  not  seem  so  difficult  a  language,  only  I  have  no 
one  to  help  me  with  the  accents  and  pronunciation.  I 
am  determined,  however,  to  know  something  of  it,  as  in 
the  event  of  reaching  the  Portuguese  settlement,  it  will 
serve  me  in  good  stead.  It  has  struck  me  as  a  good 
plan  to  get  as  far  as  Hombe,  and  there  leave  Axel  while 
I  proceed  to  Massamedas.  Chykongo  called  on  me, 
and  took  a  fancy  to  my  pea-rifle,  which  he  insisted  on  buy 
ing,  but  I  should  not  like  to  part  with  it.  Moreover,  I 
could  never  obtain  from  him  a  fair  price.  He  sent  me 
two  large  bull-elephant  tusks,  weighing  together  about 
one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds.  He  is  also  desirous  of 
possessing  two  of  my  double  detonating  rifles ;  for  flint 
guns  he  seems  not  to  care.  My  head  continues  to  ache  ; 
still,  on  the  whole,  I  feel  better.  Axel,  thank  God,  is 
so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to  resume  his  shooting. 
Goliath  continues  weak.  H—  -  returned  for  a  boy  who 
had  run  away.  Quantities  of  eggs  continue  to  be 
brought  us  of  the  Gall pumila  and  Eupltaka.  Raining 
all  round,  but  far  away. 

"  Sunday,  \jth  February. — Paid  a  state  visit  to  Chy 
kongo,  dressed  in  my  best.  Tasted  his  beer  for  the 
first  time.  He  insists  on  having  my  pea-rifle  ;  offers  a 
rather  nice-looking  double-barrelled  rifle  in  exchange. 
This  is  a  nuisance,  the  greater,  as  the  pea-rifle  can  never 
be  of  any  manner  of  use  to  him. 

"Monday,  \^th  February. — Chykongo  returned  my 
visit,  and  brought  me  an  ox  as  a  present.  He  came  for 
the  pea-rifle,  and  I  have  let  him  have  it.  I  find  the 


NICTARINA  CALLARIS.  253 

rifle  he  offers  in  exchange  shoots  perfectly  true, 
only  the  sight  is  too  clumsy.  It  is  of  a  very  small 
bore.  I  know  the  gun,  it  was  once  Jones's  ;  the  locks 
are  defective.  Axel  out  shooting.  Brought  home  ten 
ducks  and  geese,  which  are  a  valuable  contribution  to 
the  larder.  He  obtained  also  some  eggs,  though  of 
ordinary  kind.  A  heavy  shower  of  rain  late  in  the  after 
noon.  Letters  from  Pereira  and  H .  T is  ill, 

and  no  improvement  with  the  Damaras.  They  only  got 
to  the  outskirts  of  the  bush.  Deluged  with  rain.  I 
pity  H—  — ;  may  the  poor  fellow  keep  his  health. 

"  Tuesday^  iptk  February. — Tremendous  showers  in 
the  afternoon.  Much  improved  in  health  ;  able  to  eat 
any  thing  I  like  ;  a  state  of  things  not  experienced  for 
several  months. 

"  Wednesday,  2oth  February. — Hard  at  work  mapping 
out  the  last  of  my  route,  and  preparing  a  new  sheet  for 
my  contemplated  journey  to  the  Portuguese  settlements. 
Of  Mr.  Harm's  information  I  can  make  nothing.  Some 
Ovaka  here  yesterday,  with  whom  I  sent  word  to  their 
chief  that  I  was  desirous  of  visiting  him  as  soon  as  the 
rains,  as  well  as  the  sickness,  abated.  The  sextant  that 
I  obtained  from.  Palgrave  is  a  powerful  instrument,  but 
in  bad  condition.  Have  put  it  a  little  to  rights,  as 
also  the  box  containing  it,  which  was  in  a  ruinous  con 
dition.  Both  my  watches  are  out  of  order  ;  at  times 
they  go,  while  at  others  they  stop.  This  is  a  very  se 
rious  drawback.  Axel  away  to  the  Omuramba,  but  got 
nothing  ;  says  the  place  is  impassable  from  mud,  etc. ; 
brought  home  a  nest  of  Nictarina  Callaris. 

"  Thursday,  2\st  February. — Axel  out  the  whole  day 
in  search  of  specimens,  but  was  unsuccessful  in  that 


254  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

respect ;  he  bagged,  however,  seven  couple  of  ducks. 
The  natives  brought  in  some  new  eggs.  At  last  I  am 
in  for  what  I  long  dreaded,  viz.,  the  fever,  which,  as 
usual,  threatens  to  be  very  severe. 

"  Friday,  22d  February. — Continue  very  ill ;  can 
hardly  hold  up  my  head  for  five  minutes  together.  The 
tongue,  however,  does  not  look  so  bad  as  might  be 
expected.  Received  at  last  the  long  expected  note 
from  Een,  dated  Ovaquambo.  He  had  succeeded  in 
getting  about  twenty  cows,  three  of  which  were  for  an 
old  debt.  The  chief,  Navremas,  is  desirous  of  seeing 
me  ;  he  is  annoyed  at  my  not  sending  him  a  double- 
barrelled  rifle.  One  of  his  head-men  has  run  away 
from  him  with  a  number  of  cattle,  and  he  begs  me  to 
get  Chykongo  (with  whom,  he  says,  the  man  has  taken 
refuge)  to  send  him  and  the  cattle  back. 

"  Saturday,  2^d  February. — Axel  laboring  assidu 
ously  in  the  vleys,  but  to  little  purpose.  He  complains 
of  the  difficulty  of  getting  the  birds  to  take  wing,  owing, 
no  doubt,  to  their  being  so  much  hunted.  The  only 
two  that  he  secured  were  shot  with  arrows  by  native 
lads  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water,  one  of  them 
actually  holding  itself  fast  to  a  grass  stalk  by  the  bill.* 
A  trifle  better ;  able  to  sit  up,  but  great  pain  in  my 
right  leg ;  sores  are  forming  all  over  and  around  the 
large  wound  in  front,  and  much  redness  in  most  parts. 
The  heel  is  excessively  tender. 

"  Sunday,  2^th  February. — Somewhat  stronger  this 
morning,  but  feel  giddy  and  head  sore.  Cannot  get  a 
night's  rest,  owing  to  slight  delirium  and  the  mosquitoes. 

*  This  is  corroborative  of  what  many  assert  to  be  of  frequent  occur 
rence,  but  which  many,  on  the  contrary,  stoutly  deny. — ED. 


DEATH   OF  PEREIRA.  255 

Sent  for  and  spoke  to  Chykongo  about  Navremas. 
Told  me  he  would  do  his  best,  but  said  the  chief  in 
question  was  a  bad  man,  and  that  his  people  were 
always  running  away  from  him.  Told  Chykongo  that, 
if  he  would  send  a  man  with  me,  I  would  remonstrate 
with  the  half-mad  chief  upon  his  conduct.  Should 
Chykongo  really  restore  the  cattle  it  would  be  a  great 
triumph  for  me,  and  might  be  of  value  in  my  dealings 
hereafter  with  the  native  chiefs.  Chykongo  is  suffering 
slightly  from  fever.  My  leg  continues  very  queer ;  it 
can  be  nothing  but  an  old  ailment  that  has  returned  in 
the  shape  of  erysipelas. 

'•'Monday,  2^th  February. — Not  quite  so  well  to 
day  ;  able,  nevertheless,  to  do  some  little  work.  Axel 
busy  in  collecting  and  cleaning  shells  ;  succeeded  in 
getting  a  goodly  number. 

"  Tuesday,  26th  February. — Axel's  %  success  in  the 
vleys  is  now  apparently  at  an  end.  The  water-hens 
refuse  altogether  to  show  themselves,  and  few  or  no 
eggs  are  obtainable.  Jacob  down  with  the  fever.  This 
is  a  great  misfortune  ;  the  greater  as  Goliath  is  not 
gaining  strength.  Thus  both  my  servants  are  inca 
pacitated.  Looked  over  and  scarified  some  of  Pereira's 
sick  cattle.*  He  never  asked  me  to  do  so,  but  don't 

*  This  poor  man,  who  was  exceedingly  well-educated,  speaking  sev 
eral  languages,  and  who  for  a  length  of  time  was  in  the  employ  of  Mr. 
Andersson,  recently  met  his  death  in  a  very  sad  way.  Several  articles 
had  been  stolen  from  him  by  some  Bushmen,  whom  he  succeeded  in 
capturing  at  the  werft  of  their  chief,  and  who,  by  the  aid  of  some  Damaras, 
were  conveyed  to  his  wagon.  Night,  however,  overtook  the  party  half 
way,  and  Pereira,  therefore,  resolved  to  wait  until  morning  before  con 
tinuing  his  journey.  He  was  followed,  unobserved,  by  three  Bushmen, 
friends  of  the  captives,  who  shortly  before  daybreak  crept  stealthily  upon 


256  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

like  the  poor  fellow  to  lose  them  for  want  of  a  little 
attention. 

"Wednesday,  2*jth  February. — Cannot  obtain  sleep 
at  night  for  mosquitoes.  With  the  exception  of  head 
ache,  a  slight  weakness  and  pain  in  the  left  leg,  I  feel 
pretty  well,  and,  if  not  worse  again,  shall  have  hopes 
of  being  in  a  fair  way  of  recovery.  Chykongo  sent  me 
the  skin  of  the  lion  killed  by  his  Bushmen.  Axel  shot 
a  fine  bustard,  but  of  what  species  I  know  not. 

"  Thursday,  2%th  February.— The  hyena  took  a  goat 
of  mine  last  night.  He  was  followed  by  Axel  a  con 
siderable  distance.  The  poor  goat  was  actually  de 
voured  by  the  beast  while  still  living.  The  dogs, 
though  they  followed  the  hyena,  dared  not  attack  him. 
Suffer  from  a  severe  headache,  chiefly  above  the  right 
temple,  but  do  not  think  it  arises  from  the  fever  ;  it 
must  be  a  cold.  Goliath,  since  I  gave  him  the  quinine, 

his  place  of  bivouac,  and  by  the  light  of  the  fire,  alongside  which  he  was 
sleeping,  discharged  three  poisoned  arrows  at  him.  The  first  entered  the 
left  breast  ;  he  started  up  and  seized  his  rifle,  and  while  in  the  act  of  fir 
ing,  another  entered  his  arm  below  the  shoulder,  causing  him  to  drop  his 
gun,  and  the  next  moment  the  third  struck  him  in  the  stomach  ;  but  the 
latter  did  not  penetrate.  With  the  deadly  shafts  still  embedded  in  the 
flesh,  poor  Pereira  discharged  his  rifle  at  the  murderers,  who  fled,  and 
made  their  escape  in  the  obscurity  of  the  early  morn.  He  then  summoned 
the  Damaras  to  his  assistance.  The  arrow  which  entered  the  flesh  of  the 
arm  was  cut  out,  but  the  other,  which  entered  the  breast,  and  appeared 
to  have  passed  round  the  blade-bone,  could  not  be  extracted.  He  was 
carried  on  a  rude  stretcher,  hurriedly  made  for  the  purpose,  to  his  veldt 
home,  where  he  lingered  in  great  agony  for  five  days.  "  The  Bushmen's 
poison,"  the  narrator  of  poor  Pereira's  death  goes  on  to  say,  "  is  usually 
very  fatal  in  its  effects  ;  but  in  this  instance  it  had  evidently  become  weak 
either  from  exposure  or  age.  Otherwise  he  would  not  have  survived  the 
fatal  shafts  for  more  than  a  few  hours." — ED. 


ATTACK   OF   OPHTHALMIA.  257 

is  evidently  getting  stronger.     Jacob  continues  ill ;   he 
complains  chiefly  of  his  head. 

"  Friday,  \st  March. — Notwithstanding  a  bad  head 
ache,  went  with  Axel  in  -search  of  ducks ;  but  we  were 
very  unsuccessful,  bagging  only  two  couples  between 
us ;  we,  however,  saw  very  few,  and  hardly  any  other 
kind  of  birds.  Picked  up  a  good  many  eggs  of  the 
P.  Minor ;  but  it  is  the  second  lay,  and  not  one  nest 
had  half  its  proper  complement  of  eggs.  Showery  a 
little  before  sunset  ;  Jacob  somewhat  better. 

Saturday,  2d  March. — Literally  eaten  up  by  the 
mosquitoes  at  night  ;  can  get  no  rest  for  them,  and 
dread  the  return  of  darkness.  Letters  from  Palgrave 
and  Green,  with  a  sketch  of  map  of  their  late  route  ; 
I  am  very  glad  of  this,  as  I  can  make  nothing  of  Mr. 
Harm's  information.  They  have  encountered  great 
difficulties  in  their  progress,  what  with  fever  and  "  door- 
slagt."  The  messenger  says  he  is  to  return  to  the 
wagons,  but  not  to  remain.  I  hope  thus  once  more 
to  hear  from  my  people. 

"  Simday,  $d  Marc/i.—My  eyes  very  bad  ;  I  begin 
now  to  think  it  is  the  real  ophthalmia.  Chykongo 
paid  me  a  visit,  and  informed  me  he  had  heard  that 
the  Damaras  who  conveyed  my  letters  to  Otjimbingue 
have  just  returned,  less  two  of  their  number,  who  were 
killed  in  a  skirmish  with  some  Bushmen.  Chykongo's 
two  sons  accompanied  the  Damaras.  Mr.  Hahn  has 
gone  to  the  Cape.  Chykongo  says  also  that  the  Da 
maras  have  at  last  attacked  Samuel  and  taken  every 
thing  from  him  ;  but  we  shall  know  better  when  the 
people  arrive.  The  sky  looks  threatening ;  I  suppose 
we  shall  have  some  rain  with  the  new  moon.  A  poor 


258  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

* 

Damara  woman  died  ;  got  her  buried  with  difficulty, 
as  we  were  short-handed.  Poor  creature  !  she  had  been 
in  a  sinking  state  ever  since  my  arrival ;  don't  suppose 
I  could  have  done  anything  for  her. 

"Friday,  i^t/i  March. — Nearly  a  fortnight  since  I 
opened  my  Journal,  and  now  it  is  with  difficulty  I  can 
make  the  needful  entries.  I  don't  know  what  demon 
of  perverseness  possessed  me  to  go  out  shooting  when 
I  was  blind  with  ophthalmia,  but  eagerness  for  knowl 
edge  overruled  common  prudence. 

"  During  my  illness,  Chikaongombe  (one  of  the  two 
sons  of  Chykongo  just  spoken  of)  returned  with  three 
or  four  Hottentots,  and  fully  corroborated  the  state 
ment  of  the  Damaras  as  to  their  attack  on  Samuel, 
and  the  success  attending  it.  It  appears  that  the  Tot- 
ties  (Hottentots)  had  just  left  the  mountain  with  their 
'  treck,'  with  a  view  of  coming  here,  when  the  Damaras 
arrived  ;  still  the  marauders  loitered  three  days,  and 
when  attacked  were  in  a  state  of  intoxication,  and 
unable  to  oppose  their  assailants.  The  plunder  ob 
tained  by  the  Damaras  consisted  of  two  wagons  (be 
sides  one  which  was  burned),  all  the  oxen,  some  guns, 
and  one  or  two  horses,  leaving  the  Totties  with  one 
wagon,  seven  horses,  and  a  few  milk  cows. 

"  Samuel  is  now  on  this  side  of  the  mountain,  and 
apparently  it  is  his  intention  to  come  here ;  still  I  am 
told  there  are  those  in  his  camp  who  strenuously  oppose 
his  taking  this  step,  urging  that  it  can  only  lead  to 
the  destruction  of  the  whole  of  them.  Chikaongombe, 
who  came  here  with  three  or  four  Hottentots,  left 
again  yesterday,  is  sanguine  of  success,  and  hopes  to 
bring  back  with  him  both  Samuel  and  his  followers. 


TREACHERY   OF   BUSHMEN.  259 

Have  had  a  conversation  with  one  of  the  Damaras,  who 
returned  lately  from  Otjimbingue,  and  who  repeated  the 
story  of  the  Bushmen  having  treacherously  killed  two 
of  their  party  because  they  would  not  give  them  meat. 
I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Bushmen,  as  a  race, 
deserve  no  pity.  The  Berg  Damaras  are  not,  I  fear, 
one  whit  better.  It  now  turns  out  that  the  very  men 
who  occupy  Otijkongo,  and  who  professed  friendship 
for  us,  proved  themselves  arrant  traitors ;  they  have, 
in  fact,  carried  the  news  to  Samuel  of  my  having 
passed  their  werft.  One  of  the  Hottentots  told  Jacob 
that  such  was  the  case.  Well,  if  I  ever  pass  that  way 
again  I  will  make  such  an  example  as  will  probably 
scare  them  for  the  future.  The  Damaras  bring  another 
piece  of  news  from  Otjimbingue,  which  is  almost  too 
good  to  be  true — viz.,  that  Jonker  has  returned  the 
cattle  and  wagons  taken  from  Egger  and  Trinbo,  to 
gether  with  a  small  portion  of  the  feathers.  The  thing 
is  not  impossible  as  the  result  of  Stewardson's  mission 
to  him  on  my  account.  Kamahero*  has  sent  me  a 
letter  to  demand  the  rest  of  the  things,  and  a  large 
commando  has  passed  on  to  T.  Boyce's.  I  may  thus 
really  have  a  chance  of  having  some  value  for  my 
stolen  property.  Did^not  get  much  rain  at  change  of 
moon,  but  there  has  evidently  been  a  heavy  downfall 
in  many  other  directions.  Employed  yesterday  and 
to-day  in  writing  letters  to  the  hunters,  Chykongo 
having  promised  to  give  me  a  man  as  far  as  Ovagand- 
jera,  whence  they  are  to  be  forwarded.  I  hope  the 
messenger  will  not  fail  me  after  all  my  trouble  and  the 
real  pain  I  have  undergone  in  writing,  having  had,  in 

*  The  Chief  of  the  Damaras. — ED 


260  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

a  measure,  to  feel  my  way  across  the  paper.  Have 
also  written  to  my  wife  and  V.  D.  Byle  and  Co. 

"  Poor  Axel,  who  fell  ill  of  fever  two  days  after 
myself,  and  was  compelled  to  take  to  his  bed,  is  very 
unwell  ;  so  extremely  weak.  I  forgot  to  notice  that 
the  Damaras  told  me  it  had  rained  very  heavily  in 
Damaraland  before  they  left — both  the  Omaruni  and 
Swakup  were  running — and  on  passing  Omappi  *  they 
found  it  full  of  water  ;  and  as  they  only  saw  the  fence 
surrounding  the  grain,  and  nothing  green,  I  suppose  it 
was  washed  away.  Still  I  fancy  some  little  corner  will 
escape,  and  thus  enable  me  to  prove  whether  grain  will 
grow  without  irrigation  in  Damaraland. 

"Monday,  \^th  March. — Again  several  days  have 
elapsed  since  I  was  able  to  post  up  my  Journal;  in 
fact,  I  have  tried  my  eyes  too  severely  by  writing  and 
other  occupations  ;  but  shut  up  in  darkness  as  I  am,  I 
cannot  lie  on  my  back  idle  day  after  day.  Axel  is  now 
convalescent,  though,  of  course,  very  weak  ;  but  plenty 
of  strong  food  will  soon  put  him  on  his  legs  again. 
The  woman  continues  very  ill,  and  last  night,  unfortu 
nately,  Karatoe,  her  husband,  also  fell  sick ;  Goliath, 
moreover,  is  constantly  ailing.  Yesterday  it  drizzled 
nearly  the  whole  day.  Kombonde,  the  heir-apparent, 
visited  me  hurriedly  on  Saturday  night ;  he  is  said  to 
be  very  kind  and  civil  to  white  men.  1  could  not 
judge  of  his  appearance,  except  that  he  seemed  tall ; 
but  Axel  tells  me  he  is  good-looking  and  very  manly. 

'Letters  from  H and  Palgrave  ;  the  former  is  only 

a  few  days'  journey  from  hence,  having  come  to  a  dead 
lock  in  consequence  of  sickness  and  death  among  his 

*  Andersson's  newly-acquired  little  property. — ED. 


WELCOME   PRESENT.  261 

people  ;  he  has  lost  his  soi-disant  wife  and  brother-in- 
law.  He  himself  and  his  father  are  just  recovering. 
Poor  people  !  he  asks  my  advice  what  to  do,  whether 
to  return  here  or  proceed  ;  to  adopt  the  latter  course 
while  alone  he  is  afraid,  on  account  of  Samuel.  Shall 
advise  him  to  push  on  tq,  Damaraland  as  fast  as  he  can, 
as  he  can  do  no  good  here.  Palgrave  dates  his  letter 
fifty  miles  south  of  Ovagdjena,  where  he  has  been  try 
ing  to  sell  his  horse  ;  but  after  a  delay  of  ten  days 
failed  in  getting  the  cattle  promised  him  in  return  for 
it.  The  chief  (Typaska)  did  not  even  send  him  a  bas 
ket  of  corn.  Speaks  of  great  drought  at  the  place 
where  he  writes  from,  and  of  having  '  trecked  '  the 
whole  day  without  rinding  water ;  but  it  is  so  in  this 
'  changeland  ;  '  either  you  are  knee-deep  in  water,  or 
suffering  the  pangs  of  Tantalus.  I  don't  think  I  shall 
trouble  myself  to  visit  the  chief  just  named,  now  that 
I  am  acquainted  with  his  stingy  nature  ;  it  will,  more 
over,  save  me  a  gun,  which  is  something  gained. 

"  Tuesday,  igt/i  Mart/i.—$ent  off  Kerger's  boys. 
Feel  feeble  in  my  legs  to-day  ;  hope  fever  is  not  the 
cause  of  my  debility  ;  eyes  excessively  weak. 

"  Wednesday,  2Qth  March. — Thunder  and  lightning 
all  around.  Chykongo  sent  me  a  pig,  a  welcome  pres 
ent.  Lost  a  calf  in  a  singular  and  *  sudden  manner. 
Karatoe  and  wife  continue  very  poorly  ;  Goliath  down 
every  second  day  with  some  sort  of  complaint ;  this 
morning  a  cow  has  kicked  him.  Axel  has  had  a  seri 
ous  relapse,  and  fell  to  the  ground  suddenly  as  if  sub 
ject  to  falling  sicknesb. 

"  Thtirsday,  2\st  March. — Axel  very  feverish  nearly 
the  whole  night  ;  moaned  and  raved  dreadfully.  This 


262  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

morning  he  can  hardly  move  or  speak  ;  he  looks  very 
ill,  and  I  much  dread  the  result  of  the  present  attack. 
Chykongo  here. 

"  Friday,  22d  March. — Thank  God  !  Axel  some 
thing  like  himself  again  ;  at  least,  he  is  only  weak,  but 
otherwise  able  to  eat,  sit  upland  even  walk  a  little. 
This  is  a  great  relief  to  me,  and  if  he  has  no  return  of 
the  fever  to-day  I  shall  have  hopes  the  poor  fellow  will 
speedily  recover.  Took  a  ride  for  the  first  time  for 
nearly  a  fortnight,  but  fear  it  rather  hurt  me,  as  my 
eyes  cannot  bear  the  light.  I  must,  however,  take 
exercise  of  some  kind  in  order  to  obtain  sleep,  which, 
of  late,  has  quite  deserted  my  pillow.  Thunder  and 
lightning,  and  even  a  few  drops  of  rain,  but  nothing 
in  earnest.  Goliath,  Karatoe,  and  wife  continue  in  statu 
quo,  and  poor  Jacob  is  suffering  from  boils  under  the 
arms. 

"Saturday,  2^d  March.  —  Karatoe  is  dead;  poor 
fellow,  how  soon  all  was  over  with  him  !  The  wife  is 
rather  better.  My  little  family  is  in  a  sad  state,  not 
one  being  well.  We  shall  have  some  difficulty  in  bury 
ing  the  man,  being  so  short  of  hands.  Eyes  bad,  but 
fancy  it  is  more  of  a  cold  than  ophthalmia. 

"  Sunday,  241/1  March. —  Buried  Karatoe,  but  obliged 
to  carry  him  to  the  grave  myself.  At  last  we  have 
got  some  rain  ;  it  began  about  five,  and  is  still  pouring 
down  as  I  write  (eight  o'clock)  Axel  is  getting  a  little 
stronger. 

"Monday,  2$th  March. — Went  out  'egging,'  and 
observed  a  couple  of  storks  that  were  new  to  me  ;  got 
a  double  shot,  but  too  far  off.  They  were  black  be 
neath,  with  white  breast  and  neck  (all  round),  black  on 


RED-BILLED   STORKS.  263 

the  shoulder,  otherwise  of  a  grayish  hue,  bill  red. 
Overtaken  by  heavy  rains  ;  these  have  evidently  now 
set  in  in  good  earnest.  Jacob's  ailment  is  clearly  dys 
entery  ;  cannot  cure  the  disease  with  the  medicines 
hitherto  administered  ;  must  try  the  regular  treatment. 
I  am  very  helpless  now,  having  to  do  all  corts  of  work 
myself.  To-day  I  have  been  doctor  (of  both  man  and 
beast),  cobbler,  tailor,  sempstress,  etc.,  etc.,  besides 
having  to  stable  horses  and  donkeys,  look  after  cattle, 
etc.  Chykongo  sent  me  some  mats,  but  they  are  not 
so  well  made  as  the  one  I  so  much  admired. 

"  Tuesday^  26th  March. — The  morning  set  in  rainy, 
but  the  rain  soon  ceased  and  the  day  became  fine, 
though  the  sky  remained  densely  clouded.  During  the 
morning  my  time  was  occupied  in  much  the  same  man 
ner  as  yesterday ;  but  in  the  afternoon  I  took  a  long 
walk,  rather  longer,  in  fact,  than  was  comfortable  ;  suffer 
very  much  in  my  toes  and  heels  when  walking  far. 
Found  a  couple  of  valuable  nests.  It  is  rather  more 
than  three  weeks  since  I  fell  sick,  and  yet  my  eyes 
trouble  me  much ;  at  a  little  distance  everything  looks 
dim  and  obscure. 

"  Wednesday,  2Jth  March. — Eight  hours  in  the  sad 
dle  to-day,  scouring  the  country  in  search  of  specimens 
and  eggs ;  had  long  shots  on  three  several  occasions  at 
the  huge  red-billed  storks,  but  although  I  heard  the 
shots  rattle  on  their  plumage  like  the  pattering  of  rain 
drops  on  a  house-top,  they  took  not  the  slightest  notice. 
No  improvement  with  Jacob,  must  give  him  a  second 
emetic  to-morrow. 

"  Thursday,  2%th  March.— -Too  tired  for  the  ride  I 
had  proposed  to  myself.  The  hyena  killed  one  of  my 


264  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

goat-kids  last  night  ;  will,  if  possible,  destroy  it  by  poi 
son,  which  I  shall  place  near  to  the  grave  of  poor  Kara- 
toe,  the  scent  of  whose  corpse  will  probably  attract  it 
to  the  spot.  I  half  killed  the  beast  two  days  ago,  he 
having  for  the  second  time  murdered  some  chickens. 
Warm  day,  thunder  and  lightning  all  around;  shifted 
the  sheep  kraal. 

"  Friday,  2<$th  March. — Several  hours  in  the  saddle  ; 
took  with  me  the  rifle  in  hopes  of  again  falling  in  with 
the  large  storks  that  I  have  lately  endeavored  to  knock 
over  with  small  shot,  but  could  find  none.  Sun  very 
hot ;  felt  exceedingly  poorly  on  returning  home ;  head 
and  neck  ache.  Jacob  very  sick  ;  don't  know  what  to 
do  with  him. 

"  Saturday,  $ot/i  March. — Took  a  short  ride  in  a 
new  direction.  No  water  in  the  vleys  ;  met  with  five 
Eforemas,  and  certainly  killed  one  of  them,  but  could 
not  find  it  in  the  long  grass  ;  shot  a  quail  of  a  species 
new  to  me.  Omitted  to  notice  that  the  hyena  devoured 
the  poisoned  carcase  I  had  laid  out  the  other  night,  and 
has  probably  received  his  quietus ;  I  am  thoroughly 
glad  of  this.  Seems  inclined  to  rain. 

"Sunday,  $ist  March. — Paid  Chykongo  a  visit,  the 
first  I  have  made  him  for  a  very  long  time.  He  was 
with  me  yesterday  ;  took  me  into  his  Sanctum  through 
the  most  serpentine  walks,  lined  on  both  sides  with 
treble,  and  even  quadruple,  rows  of  poles  or  planks. 
Why,  the  place  would  stand  cannonading  ;  no  native 
enemy  could  possibly  take  it,  provided  it  was  well  sup 
plied  with  water  and  provisions.  Inquired  of  the  chief 
as  to  the  breed  of  dogs  I  had  seen  about,  which  I 
thought  might  be  a  cross  between  the  native  and  some 


THE  OKAFEMA.  265 

mongrels  belonging  to  the  Europeans ;  but  it  seems 
they  are  purely  natives.  They  differ  a  good  deal  from 
those  of  the  Bushmen,  and  the  face  is  generally  blacker. 
They  are  of  all  colors. 

"  Monday ',  1st  April. — Eight  hours  in  the  saddle,  and 
riding  hard  a  great  part  of  the  time.  Saw  comparatively 
few  water-fowl,  and  those  excessively  shy.  Very  un 
lucky  in  my  shooting  ;  lost  three  ducks  and  two  small 
herons,  and  returned  home  very  unwell.  Jacob  again 
down  with  his  old  complaint.  The  old  woman  and 
Ouairi  very  poorly  ;  were  it  not  for  Axel  and  Kaniko,  I 
don't  know  what  I  should  do.  The  weather  hot ;  fancy 
we  shall  soon  have  rain  again.  Saw  three  or  four 
Okafema  ;  they  wear  *  hats  '  on  their  posteriors  as  the 
Ovaguamyama. 

"  Tuesday,  2d  April. — Stayed  at  home,  not  being 
very  well,  and  sent  Axel  out  shooting  in  my  stead. 

"  Wednesday,  ^d  April. — On  horseback  for  some 
hours  in  search  of  specimens,  and  obtained  a  few.  Feel 
very  poorly  ;  head-ache,  pain  in  breast  and  stomach  ; 
finished  roughly  chapter  on  the  Ovampo. 

"  Thursday,  ^th  April. — Axel  away  to  the  Omu- 
ramba,  but  not  very  successful.  Myself  very  poorly  ; 
my  legs  wron't  carry  me  for  five  minutes  together ; 

have  all  the  symptoms  of  fever  about  me  ; also  ill. 

Not  one  of  us  now  in  health,  Chykongo  told  me  that 
this  is  a  very  unhealthy  time,  and  truly  he  is  right. 

'•'  Friday,  $tk  April. — Confined  to  bed  nearly  the 
whole  day  ;  such  curious  pains  in  the  bowels.  Toward 
evening,  Axel  started  for  the  Omuramba,  intending  to 
sleep  there,  with  the  object  of  getting  out  early  to 
morrow  morning.  Weather  very  hot. 

12 


266  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

"  Saturday,  6th  April.— Oh,  misery  !  Axel  returned 
from  the  Omuramba  at  an  early  hour,  deadly  ill  of  fever. 
This  is  terrible  !  I  would  fain  hope,  however,  that  the 
attack  will  pass  away  quickly.  I  suspect  he  has  of  late 
taxed  his  strength  too  much.  I  myself  continue  poorly ; 
but  able  to  sit  up  and  do  a  little  writing,  etc.  I  even 
skinned  and  prepared  one  of  the  pair  of  beautiful  little 
geese  killed  by  Axel.  Fine  breezy  day  ;  nevertheless, 
the  heat  is  great. 

"  Sunday,  Jill  April. — Worse  and  worse.  Jacob 
apparently  seriously  down  with  fever,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  a  solution  of  quinine  in  a  small  bottle, 
which  I  reserve  for  my  own  use,  the  whole  of  mine  is 
gone.  Fortunately  Axel  is  a  little  better  to-day,  and 
able  to  attend  to  his  ordinary  duties.  I  tried  to  do 
something  myself,  but  from  excessive  weakness  could 
not  accomplish  much.  Chikaongambe  returned,  but 
without  the  Hottentots  who  accompanied  him  from 
hence.  I  was  much  afraid  such  would  be  the  case  ;  the 
fellows  were  no  doubt  spies,  and  heard  enough  while 
here  to  arouse  their  suspicions.  Samuel  talked  of 
retracing  his  steps  to  Otjeronjupa  ;  thus  we  are  in  the 
same  position  as  before,  as  regards  this  wretch.  Chika 
ongambe  says  that  some  Damaras  have  followed  the 
Totties  and  captured  five  of  their  horses.  What  fools, 
not  to  have  endeavored  to  kill  the  marauders!  How 
am  I  to  get  my  wagon  here  in  safety?  * 

"  Monday,  Wi  Apr  it. —Very  hot  day  ;  after  sunset 
thunder  and  lightning,  and  the  night  promises  to  be 
dirty.  Axel  and  Jacob  very  poorly.  Have  at  last  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  a  herd  from  Chykongo,  or  we  should 
*  On  its  return  from  Otjimbingue,  Andersson  means. — ED. 


UNSUCCESSFUL   OBSERVATION.  267 

have  been  quite  helpless.     Poorly  myself,  but  able  to 
knock  about  a  little,  and  do  some  work. 

"  Tuesday,  gth  April. — Spoke  to  Joseph  about 
accompanying  me  ;  told  him  my  intention  of  starting  on 
my  journey  to  the  Cunene  very  soon  ;  but  fancy  he 
seemed  rather  unwilling;  at  present  he  is  ill  with  fever. 
Axel  and  myself  a  trifle  better,  but  Jacob  and  the  rest 
remain  very  poorly. 

"  Wednesday,  lotk  April. — Chykongo  with  me  ;  in 
formed  him  of  my  purpose  of  setting  off  next  month, 
and  asked  for  Chik  and  a  few  people,  which  he  readily 
promised.  But  though  I  talk  of  departing  from  hence, 
shall  I  be  able  ?  Not  one  of  us  is  well ;  all  are  so  indis 
posed  to-day  that,  had  not  I  myself  been  able  to  crawl 
about  a  little,  we  should  have  been  in  a  very  awkward 
position.  None  of  those  who  have  been  long  ill  gather 
strength,  notwithstanding  that  I  feed  them  well ;  but  I 
want  quinine.  Chykongo  promised  to  sent  word  to 
Pereira  as  to  what  has  taken  place  with  Samuel ;  this 
will  relieve  my  mind  in  that  quarter.  Presented  the 
chief  with  a  handsome  pair  of  ear-drops  of  steel,  and  a 
cow.  Weather  frightfully  hot.  Tried  my  sextant  for 
the  first  time,  but  it  was  as  much  as  I  could  do  to  hold 
it  against  the  fiery  orb.  Somehow  my  observation  mis 
carried,  though  I  thought  I  had  an  excellent  meridian 
altitude.  My  eyes  trouble  me  very  much. 

"  Thursday,  I  \th  April. — Tried  my  hand  for  the  first 
time  in  taking  lunars.  It  is  a  little  difficult  without 
any  assistance,  but  with  practice  I  must  and  shall  suc 
ceed.  Pity  my  eyes  and  general  health  are  so  bad. 
After  the  exertion  of  to-day  and  yesterday,  and  ex 
posure  to  the  sun,  I  feel  very  poorly.  Axel  fortunately 


268  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

is  a  little  better,  thank  God  !  but  the  rest  won't  move 
during  the  livelong  day  from  their  recumbent  position. 
A  Damara  is  an  annoying  and  miserable  being  when 
sick  ;  but  indeed,  this  seems  to  be  generally  the  case 
with  the  natives  of  South  Africa.  Livingstone  reports 
similarly  of  the  Bakwains.  Had  the  curiosity  to  count 
the  number  of  seeds  in  ears  of  the  small  sort  of  grain 
cultivated  by  the  Ovampo  ;  in  one  I  found  2,140,  and 
in  another  2,200,  and  these  were  only  average  sized 
ones.  I  am  sure  I  have  seen  ears  quite  twice  as  large. 

"Friday,  \2th  April. — Utterly  unfit  for  work;  feel 
as  if  bruised  all  over.  My  legs  won't  carry  me  ;  head 
ache,  etc. ;  all  clearly  fever  symptoms.  Began  this 
morning  cutting  out  a  pair  of  leather  ox  saddle-bags. 
Don't  know  what  to  do  for  hides  and  reins.  I  now 
regret  having  parted  with  mine  to  Pereira.  Clouds 
rise  toward  noon,  but  disappear  before  sunset. 

u  Saturday,  \$th  April. — Very  poorly;  Jacob  sink 
ing  ;  no  improvement  with  the  Damaras,  speaking  gen 
erally.  Axel  continues  pretty  well,  but  weak. 

"  Sunday,  i^th  April. — Sat  up  till  two  o'clock  this 
morning  practising  lunars  and  latitudes  ;  weather  begins 
to  be  chilly  at  night.  Fear  I  shall  suffer  after  such  un 
usual  exertions  in  my  weak  state. 

"Monday,  i^th  April. — Unable  to  accomplish  much 
work,  still  I  strive  hard  to  do  a  little  every  day.  Poor 
Jacob  !  I  have  now  very  little  hope  of  his  recovery  ;  the 
last  emetic  does  not  seem  to  have  done  him  the  slight 
est  good,  and  I  dare  not  proceed  farther.  The  lad  is  so 
weak,  and  he  eats  nothing.  Chykongo  is  about  to  go 
elephant-hunting. 

"  Tuesday,    \6th  April.— Overtasked    my    strength 


SEVERE   ILLNESS.  269 

altogether  to-day  ;  have  made  a  light  travelling  mattress 
out  of  the  old  one  ;  it  will  serve  as  a  kind  of  cushion  for 
a  pack-ox,  and  thus  not  be  in  the  way.  That  rascal 
Joseph  has  not  responded  to  my  call,  and  I  myself  must 
now  do  the  whole  work  of  preparation  for  the  journey. 

"  Chykongo  came  past  with  a  large  hunting  party. 
I  only  observed  about  twenty  guns.  It  seems  the  chief 
utterly  discards  the  Portuguese  fire-arms,  having  lost 
all  faith  in  them  since  the  introduction  by  the  European 
hunters  of  superior  rifles.  Very  poorly  ;  head  and  neck 
ache,  and  that  dreadful  pain  in  my  stomach,  which  has 
now  continued  for  more  than  three  weeks.  What  can 
it  be?  Is  the  liver  out  of  order?  At  times  agonizing 
pain  in  chest.  Not  doctor  enough  to  prescribe  for  my 
self;  am  afraid  of  aperients  and  purgatives;  instead  of 
lowering  the  system  I  require  tonics.  Poor  Jacob  con 
tinues  terribly  weak;  I  dare  do  no  more  for  the  lad. 
The  old  woman  and  the  children  continue  in  the  same 
state.  What  is  to  be  done  with  these  people  when  I 
leave  ?  I  cannot  wait  for  their  recovery ;  as  it  is,  I 
fancy  I  am  risking  my  own  life  by  remaining  here  ; 
Chykongo  will  never  know  the  sacrifice  I  have  made  in 
delaying  so  long.  Weather  cloudy  and  close.  Shall 
we  have  a  little  more  rain  ? 

"  Wednesday,  \Wi  April.  —  Continue  wretchedly 
weak,  and  that  troublesome  flatulency  continues.  Jacob 
eating  a  little  to-day ;  but  still  I  have  no  hopes  of  the 
poor  lad. 

"  Thursday,  igth  April.— Spent  a  very  bad  night ; 
the  little  giblet  soup  I  partook  of  last  evening  dis 
tended  my  stomach  till  it  resembled  a  drum-head,  and 
the  pain  in  consequence  was  very  severe.  I  had,  in 


2/0  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

addition,  slight  attacks  of  ague  and  fever.  Oh  !  when 
will  this  end  ?  This  morning  I  tried  cold  dripping  wet 
sheets,  and  the  wearing  of  a  wet  stomach-pack.  Ther 
mometer  at  noon,  in  the  shade,  8 1  degs. 

"  Friday,  2Otk  April. — Very  bad  night  ;  pain  in  the 
stomach  -continues  unabated.  Felt  quite  faint  from 
want  of  food,  and,  disregarding  all  consequences,  par 
took  of  an  ounce  or  two  of  boiled  lean  mutton  and  a 
plate  of  soup.  Notwithstanding  my  indisposition,  I 
got  through  a  good  deal  of  work.  The  big  pair  of 
pack-saddles  are  nearly  ready,  and  those  for  the  don 
keys  quite.  Jacob  remains  in  the  same  state,  but  eats 
heartily  ;  what  am  I  to  do  without  him — the  only  inter 
preter  I  have?  Thermometer  inside  the  house,  81°. 
Continue  slowly  the  perusal  of  Livingstone  ;  it  is  a  won 
derful  book,  and  the  author  a  still  more  wonderful  man. 
What  a  mass  of  information  he  possesses  on  various 
subjects  ;  and  then  his  fortitude  and  perseverance  under 
the  most  trying  circumstance  are  truly  marvellous. 
Poor  Venus !  my  best  dog,  died  suddenly  yesterday 
afternoon.  Axel  thinks  she  has  been  sick  some  time. 
What  beasts  those  Ovampo  are  !  I  had  scarcely 
turned  my  back  on  the  carcass  before  some  lads,  who 
were  near,  whipped  it  up  and  devoured  it. 

"  Saturday,  2\st  April. — Acted  the  cobbler  to-day  ; 
my  last  '  sick  '  boot  *  has  long  been  ailing,  and  as  it  is 
pretty  comfortable,  I  have  done  my  best  to  make  a 
neat  job  of  it.  I  have,  moreover,  attended  to  sundry 
other  little  matters  in  relation  to  the  journey  ;  but  I 
generally  pay  dearly  for  my  exertions.  I  am  '  as  weak 
as  a  rat/  and  very  much  afraid  that  the  acidity  in  the 
*  One  of  a  peculiar  form  for  Andersson's  crippled  leg. 


THE  EFOREMA.  2? I 

stomach  will  end  in  dysentery,  which  God  forbid ! 
Poor  Jacob  !  by  this  disease  he  has  been  reduced  to  a 
shadow.  Fancy  I  have  at  length  discovered  the  family 
to  which  that  curious  bird  Eforema  belongs.  If  I  am 
not  mistaken  it  is  allied  to  the  Abyssinian  horn-bill, 
or  it  may  be  identical- with  it.  Thermometer  hardly 
reached  80°  to-day,  and  yet  it  has  felt  very  close  in 
consequence  of  the  thunder  and  lightning  that  is  in 
the  air. 

"  Sunday,  22d  April.  —  Very  poorly,  and  even 
weaker  than  usual.  As  yet  the  cold  dripping  sheets 
and  wet  body  bandages  have  wrought  no  improvement 
in  my  health.  Jacob  as  usual ;  the  rest  of  my  people 
in  the  same  state  as  for  some  time  past.  Getting  hard 
up  for  eatables,  have  repeatedly  sent  to  Chykongo,  but 
can  get  nothing  from  him.  One  of  his  wives,  however, 
on  my  applying  to  her,  brought  a  basket  of  beans 
of  both  kinds,  arid  some  meat.  Thermometer  under 
veranda  at  one  P.  M.,  85°  ;  cloudy,  with  thunder  and 
lightning,  but  very  little  rain. 

"  Monday,  2^d  April. —  Enjoyed  a  pretty  good 
night,  though  troubled  with  dreams.  Thought,  con 
sequently,  to  find  myself  stronger,  but  scarcely  had  I 
got  over  my  cold  bath  before  excessive  faintness  took 
possession  of  me  ;  forced  myself  for  awhile  td  work, 
but  at  last  was  glad  to  take  to  my  bed.  Thermometer 
under  veranda  from  noon  to  three  P.  M.,  about  87°, 
at  sunset  80°. 

"  Tuesday,  2^th  April.— O  God  !  what  a  night  I 
have  spent  !  This  indigestion,  flatulency,  or  whatever 
it  may  be,  will  kill  me  if  it  continues  much  longer.  I 
can  hardly  hold  the  pen,  and  my  breathing  comes  so 


2/2  NOTES   OF   TRAVEL. 

labored  ;  pulse  nearly  90°.  Generally  feeble.  Goliath 
down  with  fever ;  Jacob's  appetite  increasing  wonder 
fully.  I  have  just  managed  to  finish  Livingstone  ;  like 
the  book  far  better  this  time  than  on  my  first  perusal 
of  it.  He  is  certainly  a  most  remarkable  man. 

"  Wednesday,  2^th  April. — Another  dreadful  night. 
With  desperate  effort  I  mounted  my  horse  for  a  little 
fresh  air  and  exercise  ;  could  only  walk  him  about. 
Counted  a  good-sized  ear  of  Holcus  Sorghum,  and 
found  close  on  fifteen  hundred  grains  in  it ;  another 
ear,  now  lying  before  me,  is  apparently  twice  its  size. 
Thermometer  at  sunrise  60°,  at  noon  87^°,  sunset  80°  ; 
wind  northerly. 

"  Thursday,  26th  April. — Spent  another  bad  night  ; 
it  is  now  nearly  three  days  since  I  ate  anything.  Had 
a  fowl  killed  and  broiled  ;  I  sadly  want  meat,  but  it 
may  not  agree  with  me.  There  is  something  so  very 
painful  about  my  stomach  as  at  times  to  amount  to 
agony  ;  I,  moreover,  feel  so  weak  occasionally  as  hardly 
to  be  able  to  rise  from  my  bed.  Fancy  the  cold  body 
bandage  does  me  harm,  and  I  shall,  therefore,  dis 
continue  it  for  awhile  ;  too  weak  to  sponge  my  body. 
Averse  as  I  am  to  medicine,  I  would  give  much  to  have 
a  skilful  doctor's  advice  and  attendance.  Jacob  looks 
miserable,  poor  fellow  ;  he  spent  the  night  at  the  quar 
ters  of  Chykongo's  chief  wife,  where  he  was  made  to 
partake  of  some  doctor's  stuff.  Rumor  says  the  Bush 
men  have  killed  a  large  male  elephant ;  I  hope  it  is  true. 
Thermometer  at  sunrise,  56^°  ;  noon  to  three  P.  M., 
88°  ;  sunset,  80°,  Weather  feels  very  oppressive ;  a 
few  clouds  about,  but  I  fancy  we  have  done  with  the 
rains  for  this  season.  Goliath  very  poorly. 


A  BAD  NIGHT.  273 

"Friday,  27  tk  April.— Again,  a  bad  night,  though 
not  quite  to  the  extent  of  the  two  or  three  preceding 
ones.  I  am  consumed  with  thirst ;  but  everything  I 
drink,  be  it  water,  toast  and  water,  or  what  not,  is 
instantly  converted  into  gas.  Took  my  usual  horse 
exercise  this  morning,  but  felt  very  weak  after  it; 
always  suffer  most  toward  evening  and  during  the  night. 
Jacob  decidedly  getting  better,  but  still  very  feeble. 
Thermometer  at  sunrise,  59°  ;  noon,  89°  ;  one  o'clock 
P.M.,  90°;  sunset  81°. 

"  Saturday,  2St/i  April.— Horse  lost  last  night,  and, 
as  a  consequence,  no  ride  for  this  morning.  If  is  too 
bad  of  Chykongo's  people  not  to  look  better  after  the 
stallion,  as  he  it  is  that  draws  away  the  mares.  Ther 
mometer  at  sunrise,  56°  ;  noon,  87°  ;  one  o'clock,  89° ; 
and  at  three,  90°  ;  sunset,  82°. 

"  Sunday,  2$tk  April.— Very  ill  last  night  ;  about 
midnight  obliged  to  get  up  and  take  a  few  drops  of 
morphia,  which  relieved  me  somewhat,  but  banished 
sleep.  Took  half-an-hour's  exercise,  and  thought  my 
self  the  better  for  it.  Actually  able  to  give  myself  a 
good  washing,  and  to  eat  a  tolerable  breakfast.  In  the 
afternoon  again  became  very  much  troubled  with  wind, 
which  caused  me  great  pain  ;  feel  sleepy.  The  country 
begins  to  wear  an  autumnal  appearance ;  the  grain  has 
turned  yellow,  except  patches  here  and  there  of  Holcus 
Sorghum,  which  still  lingers  in  its  spring  dress.  The 
grass  is  turning  whitish,  and  drooping,  and  some  trees 
are  losing  their  leaves.  Thermometer  at  sunrise,  56°  ; 
noon,  87° ;  one  o'clock,  88°. 

"Monday,  30^  April.— Another  dreadful  night ;  the 
gasses  seem  to   be  most  commonly  generated  toward 

12* 


2/4  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

nightfall,  ending  in  terrible  pain  in  the  pit  of  the 
stomach,  or  on  each  or  both  sides  of  it.  Took  my 
morning  ride  with  less  pain  than  usual.  The  air  is  so 
pleasant  that  one  fancies  it  is  impossible  not  to  be  bene 
fited  by  it ;  but  somehow  I  returned  home  weaker  than 
I  departed.  Jacob  seems  poorly  to-day.  Thermometer 
at  sunrise  53°,  noon  87°,  one  o'clock  88°,  sunset  82°. 

"  Tuesday,  1st  May.  —  Night  even  worse  than  the 
preceding  :  compelled  to  rise  from  my  bed  about  mid 
night,  and  administer  to  myself  five  or  six  drops  of  mor 
phia,  which  afforded  a  slight  relief;  but  am  afraid  it 
constipates  the  bowels.  The  quantity  of  gas  in  my 
stomach  this  morning  was  so  great  as  to  compel  me  to 
take  a  dose  of  salts,  which  had  the  desired  effect,  though 
without  decomposing  the  gasses,  which  are  what  really 
trouble  me.  I  don't  know  whether  I  act  judiciously 
in  taking  any  kind  of  medicine  in  my  extremely  debili 
tated  condition,  but  what  am  I  to  do?  I  tried  long 
enough  without  medicines ;  God  help  me  now  !  I  feel 
that  if  there  is  not  soon  some  change  for  the  better,  my 
constitution  cannot  possibly  hold  out  much  longer  ;  1 
try  strenuously,  as  I  have  always  done,  to  bear  up 
under  all  kinds  of  illnesses  :  but  I  am  now  at  times  so 
weak  as  to  be  unable  to  rise  up  from  my  chair  or  bed. 

"  Thermometer  at  sunrise  54°,  noon  88°,  one  o'clock 
89°,  three  o'clock  90°,  sunset  83°. 

"  Axel  killed  a  fine  large  pau  (Otis  Kori).  Poor  fel 
low  !  he  is  very  proud  of  his  performance.  The  bird  is 
in  excellent  condition,  but  weighs  only  twenty-two  and 
a-half  pounds. 

"  Wednesday,  2d  May.— Managed  the  night  pretty 
.well  by  sticking  to  the  small  opiates  lately  begun  ;  took 


-  MORE   LUNG-SICKNESS.  2/5 

also  a  small  dose  of  calomel,  and  somehow  fancied  I 
was  the  better  for  it  almost  immediately  afterward.  I 
also  indulged  freely  in  drinking  water  obtained  from 
crushed  wheat,  which  at  first  1  thought  pleasant,  but 
subsequently  suffered  severely  from.  Well,  I  must 
drink.  Day  dreadfully  close  and  sultry.  At  sunrise 
the  thermometer  stood  at  about  60°,  noon  89°,  at  three 
o'clock  91°,  and  at  sunrise  82°. 

"  Chykongo  returned  last  night,  and  his  people  to 
day  ;  quite  empty-handed,  I  am  told,  These  Ovam- 
pos  only  frighten  the  elephants  and  make  them  sav 
age. 

"  Thursday,  ^d  May.  —  Terrible  night ;  for  once, 
morphia  had  not  the  desired  effect ;  went  out  on  horse 
back  ;  had  not  had  a  gun  in  my  hand  before  for  several 
weeks.  Had  a  fair  chance  at  an  Eforema,  but  this  bird 
cares  not  a  straw  for  No.  4.  I  will  never  go  out  again 
without  having  one  barrel  loaded  with  buck-shot. 

"  Very  close  last  night ;  sky  overcast  as.  if  it  was 
about  to  rain.  Thermometer  at  sunrise  63°,  noon  88°. 

"  Killed  an  ox  lately  bought  from  Chykongo's  son, 
which  must  at -the  time  have  been  suffering  from  lung- 
sickness  ;  sent  the  chief  the  neck  and  hide,  the  rest  of 
the  carcass  we  have  carefully  jerked,  and  it  must  last 
us  a  long  while. 

"  Friday,  ^th  May. — Tolerably  easy  last  night,  with 
a  single  dose  of  morphia,  and  a  small  one  of  calomel 
toward  morning  ;  but  tongue  looks  very  bad.  Rather 
chilly  before  sunrise,  when  the  thermometer  stood  54°  ; 
noon,  84°  ;  sunset,  80°.  The  mornings  are  just  bear 
able,  but  after  twelve  o'clock  it  is  just  the  reverse. 
Have  indulged  to-day  in  a  glass  and  a  half  of  milk,  and 


276  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

a  sip  or  two  of  beer,  neither  of  which,  I  suspect,  has 
done  me  much  good. 

"  Chykongo  with  me  ;  he  has  promised  to  get  things 
ready  for  my  journey ;  but  it  seems  doubtful  whether 
Chykongo  will  be  able  to  accompany  me  ;  if  not  it  will 
be  a  serious  disappointment. 

"  Saturday,  5///  May. — A  bad  night,  attributable  in 
some  measure  I  believe  to  my  having  taken  a  few  drops 
too  many  of  morphia,  which  constipated  the  bowels. 
Poor  Jacob  !  down  with  a  raging  fever.  Well,  I  must 
now  give  up  all  hopes  of  taking  him  to  the  Cunene, 
though  it  will  be  hard  for  me  to  be  without  an  inter 
preter.  Atmosphere  chilly  this  morning  ;  thermometer 
down  to  49°,  half-an-hour  before  sunrise  ;  at  noon,  88°  ; 
one  o'clock,  88°  ;  sunset,  82°.  Caught  Chykongo's  son 
in  the  act  of  abstracting  a  pound  of  fine  gunpowder  from 
the  packed  saddle-bags.  I  can  stand  it  no  longer,  and 
will  complain  to  his  father. 

"  Sunday,  6th  May. — Bad  night ;  ate  a  little  arrow 
root  late,  and  fancy  it  was  too  much  for  the  stomach. 
Thermometer,  sunrise,  52°  ;  noon,  88°;  sunset,  83°. 

"  Monday,  Jth  May. — Rather  uncomfortable  night ; 
took  a  large  draught  of  buttermilk,  it  looked  so  tempt 
ing.  Closed  my  letters  of  yesterday  to  Mr.  H ,  Een, 

Palgrave,  Hartley,  and  wife.  It  is  still  with  difficulty 
I  can  guide  the  pen  for  five  minutes  together.  Cloudy 
and  close.  Thermometer  from  noon  to  three  o'clock, 
88°  to  91°,  according  as  the  sky  was  bright  or  overcast. 
Jacob  excessively  low ;  have  now  no  expectation  of  be 
ing  able  to  take  him  on  the  journey ;  if  I  did,  it  would 
only  remain  to  leave  him  where  he  might  be  worse  than 


ILLNESS   OF  INTERPRETER.  277 

here.  Should  he  get  better  he  could  join  me  in  the 
Ovaquenjana  by-and-by. 

"  Tuesday,  §tk  May— Oh,  horrors!  the  letters  sent 
for  the  hunters  nearly  two  months  ago  were  returned  to 
me  last  night.  This  is  a  great  misfortune,  as  one  of 
them  related  to  my  wagon,  which  was  to  meet  me 
here  on  its  return  from  Otjimbingue,  about  August. 
Again  Chykongo  sent  to  say  he  could  only  supply  me 
with  one  packrox.  This  is  really  too  bad,  having  pre 
ferred  my  wants  to  him  nearly  two  months  ago.  I  can't 
get  anything  from  him.  Have  sent  for  the  old  gentle 
man  this  morning.  Jacob  has  a  lucid  interval,  and  I 
might  have  a  fair  opportunity  of  explaining  everything. 

"  Wednesday,  gt/i  May.— Rode  up  to  the  chiefs  werft, 
but  though  I  waited  there  a  long  time  he  did  not  show 
himself.  Left  word  I  expected  him  at  home  at  once, 
where  I  soon  afterward  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
him.  Poor  Jacob !  so  weak  as  hardly  to  be  able  to  ar 
ticulate,  much  less  to  interpret  properly.  Altogether 
it  was  the  most  languid  and  unsatisfactory  interview 
that  I  had  had  with  the  chief.  There  is  evidently  some 
thing  wrong;  he  seems  to  be  careless  of  my  reproaches. 
However,  he  says  the  people  shall  be  ready  to-morrow 
morning,  when  he  will  himself  come  down  and  see  me 
off.  May  he  keep  his  word.  Declares  that  Joseph  has 
absolutely  refused  to  accompany  me.  Really  such  a 
scoundrel  deserves  severe  chastisement,  and  I  hope  to 
live  to  see  it  inflicted  ;  the  man  is  without  feeling  thus 
to  leave  me  in  the  lurch. 

"  Thermometer  at  sunrise,  50°  ;  at  one  o'clock  P.  M., 
84°  ;  and  at  sunset,  76°." 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Start  for  the  River  Cunene — Arrival  at  Nauma's  werft — Ugly  women — 
Extraordinary  spectacle — Author's  life  endangered — Singular  hair- 
dressing — Hyenas  troublesome — The  iron  mine — Typandeka's  hos 
pitality —  A  great  misfortune — Reach  the  Cunene — Altercation  v/ith 
ferry-men. 

AS  will  be  gathered  from  the  last  chapter.  Anders- 
son's  health  was  at  the  time  in  a  most  precarious 
state,  whence  one  would  have  supposed  he  would  never 
have  ventured  on  the  journey  he  was  about  to  under 
take  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  that  he  would  have  lost  no 
time  in  heading  back  to  his  quarters  at  Otjimbingue, 
where  medicine,  proper  food,  etc.,  of  which  the  poor 
fellow  stood  so  much  in  need,  were  obtainable  ;  but 
though  quite  aware  of  the  desperate  risk  he  ran,  his 
indomitable  spirit  determined  him  to  carry  out  his  long 
cherished  purpose  of  proceeding  to  the  Portuguese  set 
tlement  of  Benguela,  which,  in  fact,  he  all  but  accom 
plished,  though,  as  the  reader  will  presently  learn,  at 
the  sacrifice  of  his  life. — ED.] 

JOURNAL. — From  Ondonga  to  the  Cunent. 

"  Thursday,  lot k  May,  1867. — Chykongo  proved  true 
to  his  word,  though  he  arrived  with  his  men  very  late. 
However,  we  effected  a  start  from  his  place  about  10.45. 
But  my  outfit,  so  to  say,  was  a  very  sorry  one  ;  having, 
as  I  have  said,  sent  the  wagons  and  the  greater  part  of 


GOLIATH   TAKEN   ILL  279 

my  people  in  advance,  it  merely  consisted  of  a  few  pack 
and  slaughter-oxen,  some  milk  goats,  and  a  riding  horse 
for  myself.  A  good  many  natives,  whom  the  chief  had 
placed  at  my  disposition,  accompanied  me.  Off-sad 
dled  at  2. 15.  Quite  one  and  a  half  hour's  delay.  Stood 
my  first  day's  exertion  exceedingly  well,  considering 
that  prior  to  setting  off  I  had  to  work  hard  to  get  things 
ready,  besides  half  packing  the  oxen. 

4k  Friday,  \\th  May. — Left  bivouac  at  7.40;  reached 
Kombonde's  werft  at  10.5.  Not  more  than  five  minutes' 
delay.  Course  about  305°.  Thermometer  at  sunrise, 
54°.  Well  received  by  the  hereditary  chief  of  Ondonga, 
who  is  said  to  be  very  stingy.  Asked  for  a  slaughter 
goat,  but  could  only  succeed  in  exchanging  four  of  my 
dry  milk  goats  for  three  supposed  to  be  in  milk,  and 
one  ram.  Left  Kombonde's  werft  in  the  afternoon 
(2.40  P.  M.)  ;  bivouacked  at  5.5.  Perhaps  five  minutes' 
delay,  but  travelled  slowly  (Goliath  taken  ill) ;  course 
about  306°  or  307°.  The  night  promises  to  be  very 
cloudy.  We  are  now  in  the  wedge  of  Ondonga.  Pal- 
grave,  ,  and  others  lay  here  for  some  time.  Observed 

a  troop  of  '  Ahem  '  cranes,  consisting  of  ten. 

"  Saturday,  \2th  May. — Very  cloudy  and  close  night. 
Thermometer  about  half  an  hour  before  sunrise,  78°. 
Horse  not  recovered  for  nearly  an  hour  after  we  had 
packed.  Nevertheless,  effected  a  start  at  6.30  A.  M. 
Entered  at  once  the  bush  that  divides  Ondonga  from 
Ovaquambi.  It  consists  chiefly  of  oxonlati,  and  is  ex 
ceedingly  monotonous.  A  couple  of  months  ago,  the 
greater  part  of  this  country  was  under  water,  and  now 
not  a  drop  is  to  be  seen.  Halted  at  9.30.  Travelled 
well  ;  course  winding  from  296°  to  3 1 5°,  average  per- 


280  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

haps  305°.  Off  again  at  one  P.  M.  Passed  a  couple  of 
small  vleys  in  half-an-hour.  Filled  our  '  vabye,'  and 
proceeded  till  3.40,  when  we  camped  for  the  night,  the 
men  looking  very  tired.  About  twenty-five  minutes, 
delay.  Road  very  winding  ;  course  perhaps  315°.  The 
bush  not  changed  in  character. 

"  Sunday,  \^th  May. — Cloudy  first  part  of  night, 
but  it  cleared  up  after  midnight.  Thermometer  at 
sunrise,  50°.  Left  bivouac  at  7.7 ;  reached  first  village 
(rather  cluster  of  villages)  of  Ovaquambi  at  11.15. 
About  half-a.n-hour's  delay  ;  course  perhaps  215°  (220°). 
The  approach  to  the  country  is  very  beautiful,  consist 
ing  of  fine  grass  savannas,  here  and  there  dotted  with 
lovely  island-like  clusters  of  trees.  Presented  with  two 
young  cattle,  one  of  which  I  slaughtered  for  my  own 
people  and  for  our  new-found  friends.  Nauma  keeps 
up  his  name  for  hospitality  and  friendliness  for  Euro 
peans.  Loaded  with  dishes  of  porridge.  There  seems 
a  great  number  of  hamlets  clustered  together  at  this 
point.  Can  there  be  any  particular  object  in  this 
arrangement,  or  is  it  simply  that  the  soil  is  universally 
favorable  ?  Very  sick. 

"  Monday,  \qth  May. — Though  exceedingly  ill,  I 
tried  hard  to  get  an  observation,  last  night,  but  finding 
the  sky  obstinately  cloudy,  I  unfortunately  desisted,  as 
toward  midnight  it  cleared  up  beautifully.  Thermo 
meter  a  little  before  sunrise,  54°.  Left  bivouac  about 
5.3  A.M.;  reached  Nauma's  werft  at  11.35.  Some 
twenty  minutes'  delay  ;  course  about  350° ;  too  long  in 
the  saddle.  Found  Nauma  nearly  as  he  had  been  rep 
resented  to  me.  But  what  surprises  me  most  is  his 
physiognomy,  which  is  so  different  from  that  of  his 


APPEARANCE   OF  THE   COUNTRY.  28 1 

people.  He  reminds  me  exactly  of  old  April  at 
Otjimbi.  He  was  dressed  in  a  blue-striped  shirt,  mole 
skin  trousers,  and  "  veld  "  shoes,  with  a  small  wide 
awake  hat  on  his  head.  Clothing  does  not  misbecome 
him.  Unlike  other  African  chiefs,  he  did  not  let  me 
wait  for  his  arrival,  but  came  up  before  I  had  off-saddled. 
We  shook  hands.  Scarcely  had  we  off-packed  when  he 
presented  me  with  two  sheep  and  a  pig.  Got  also  a 
can  of  honey  from  him  ;  the  very  thing  I  have  so  much 
longed  for.  Ate  some  of  it  at  once,  but  it  disagreed 
with  me,  though  I  hope  it  will  ultimately  act  as  a  laxa 
tive,  my  chief  object  in  partaking  of  it.  Can  get  no 
milk;  all  the  cows  have  been  sent  away,  the  calves 
having  died  of  lung-sickness.  Must  try  to  buy  a  few 
goats  in  milk.  Found  my  old  servant  Africa  just  risen 
from  his  bed  after  a  long  attack  of  fever ;  very  weak  and 
hardly  able  to  move  about ;  willing  enough  to  accom 
pany  me.  While  on  the  road  here,  it  struck  me  it 
would  be  a  good  thing  to  get  the  loan  of  Nauma's  cart, 
I  dare  say  he  will  let  me  have  it  to  the  Ovaquamyama. 
Several  Ombranderas  were  pointed  out  to  me.  This, 
I  believe,  is  a  tribe  lately  attacked  by  the  Ovampo  and 
the  Ovangandyera.  It  is  one  of  those  tribes  who  have 
no  chiefs. 

"  This  country  and  Ondonga  are  almost  fac-similes ; 
but  there  seems  to  me  to  be  a  trifling  difference,  viz., 
the  cultivated  portions  run  in  parallel  ridges  with  some 
thing  like  well-defined  '  omurambas '  between,  which 
portions  must  be  more  or  less  under  water  during  the 
wet  season.  The  ridges  are  covered  with  clusters  of 
palm  and  other  wild  fruit-trees,  but  nowhere  so  plenti 
ful  as  in  Ondonga.  The  ground  on  these  elevations  is 


282  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

exceedingly  well  cultivated.  The  corn  lands  are  much 
closer  than  in  Ondonga.  The  latter  has  been  repre 
sented  as  much  larger  than  Waguarambi,  but  I  question 
it.  Ther*  seem  plenty  of  people  about.  Africa  tells 
me  that  the  country  extends  considerably  to  the  north 
ward,  but  less  to  westward.  Nauma  keeps  a  body 
guard  of  some  thirty  or  forty  young  men,  who  sleep  in 
a  shed  abutting  on  his  werft.  These  are  ordered  about 
on  all  sorts  of  occasions  and  business.  Poor  fellows; 
they  are  not  allowed  to  grease  themselves,  which  in  this 
boiling  climate  must  be  a  great  privation.  When  the 
chief  gives  an  order,  the  men  are  expected  to  run. 

"  Tuesday,  I  ^th  May. — Tried  to  have  a  little  talk  with 
Nauma,  but  it  is  hopeless,  with  such  interpreters  as  I 
have.  Has  kindly  lent  me  his  cart  and  oxen  ;  the  pole 
of  the  former  is  broken,  but  being  well  lashed  with  sup 
ports,  I  am  in  hopes  it  may  carry  us  safely  to  the 
Ovaquamyama.  It  will  be  a  great  comfort  to  have  the 
vehicle,  though  small ;  it  is  a  sort  of  house.  Have  pre 
sented  Nauma  with  my  double-barrelled  two-grooved 
rifle,  in  which  I  have  no  particular  confidence,  and  hope 
he  will  give  me  some  cattle  in  return. 

"  Wednesday,  \6th  May. — Sat  up  till  twelve  o'clock 
last  night  taking  observations,  but,  most  strange  to  say, 
north  and  south  differ  some  eight  miles.  Can  the  sex 
tant  have  got  injured  ?  The  meridian  altitude  of  the  sun 
gives  also  a  widely  different  result.  Took  no  medicine 
last  night,  for  the  first  time  for  many  weeks  past.  The 
honey  does  some  good,  though  the  stomach  continues 
to  feel  frightfully  distended.  Left  a  bag  of  powder  with 
Nauma  for  twenty  milk  goats  and  fifteen  kids  that  he 
brought  me.  Asked  the  price  of  the  rifle  ;  but  told  him 


CAPRICIOUS  CONDUCT   OF   NAUMA.  283 

it  was  a  present.  Has  promised  to  supply  me  with  a 
herd.  Sent  half  my  party  back  to  Ondonga.  I  have 
some  suspicion  that  the  rest  will  decamp  ere  long.  Have 
treated  them  exceedingly  well.  On  looking  more 
closely  at  the  pole  of  the  cart  I  found  it  quite  broken 
off,  and  consequently  advisable  to  get  a  new  one. 
Luckily  Nauma  has  a  piece  or  two  of  wood  prepared  in 
the  rough.  Had  nearly  finished  it  by  sunset. 

"  Thursday,  \*jtJi  May.  —  My  Ovampo  received  a 
message  last  night  from  Nauma  ordering  them  to  sleep 
at  a  distance,  on  the  plea  that  he  and  Chykongo  were 
enemies.  Confound  such  fancies  !  I  will  not  stand  it, 
and  will  tell  him  so.  It  put  the  men  in  a  great  fright, 
and  they  feared  to  go  to  sleep.  What  a  strange  state 
these  tribes  stand  in  toward  each  other ;  they  never 
seem  to  be  quite  at  peace.  Luckily,  their  mutual  wants 
compel  them  to  keep  open  communication  with  each 
other,  and  thus  trade  and  barter  flourish  in  spite  of  the 
enmity  of  the  rulers.  Tried  hard  again  last  night  to  get 
north  and  south  observations  to  come  closer;  but  no. 
The  several  sets  came  out  beautifully,  differing  only  a 
few  seconds  from  each  other  ;  but  there  is  a  difference 
of  more  than  five  seconds  between  north  and  south. 
What  on  earth  can  cause  this  ?  It  is  also  the  case  with 
my  little  sextant,  and  I  don't  understand  how  to  correct 
it.  I  am  much  chagrined  at  this,  as  I  had  reckoned  so 
much  on  being  able  to  take  lunars.  However,  I  don't 
despair  of  getting  over  the  difficulty.  Nauma  did  not 
visit  our  camp,  because,  he  said,  the  Ovampos  were 
there,  and  yet  he  came  to  us  daily  before.  Went  to 
him  in  the  afternoon  and  represented  to  him  how  unfair 
and  capricious  was  his  conduct.  Made  a  fresh  arrange 


284  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

ment  with  him — viz.,  I  am  to  let  the  Ovampos  return 
to  their  homes,  he  supplying  me  with  the  necessary 
complement  of  men  in  their  stead.  He  insists  upon  it 
that  the  Ondonga  people  are  no  friends  of  the  Ova- 
quamyama,  as  they  are  always  shooting  them  off.  This 
is  contrary  to  Chykongo's  statement,  who  assured  me 
that  they  were  great  friends.  I  am  quite  at  a  loss  to 
understand  the  motives  and  feelings  of  these  people. 
There  was  Chykongo,  for  instance,  declaring  that  he  had 
sent  twice  to  Nauma  to  make  inquiries  about  the  man 
who  had  run  away  with  some  cattle;  but  that  chief 
denied  such  being  the  case.  In  fact  no  man  had  ab 
sconded.  Africa,  however,  declares  that  the  man  is 
now  living  close  to  Kombonde. 

"Friday,  iStk.  May — Therm.,  sunrise,  52°;  sunset, 
78°.  Did  not  effect  a  start  till  8.30;  waiting  all  the 
time  for  Nauma  to  bring,  some  vegetables,  according 
to  promise,  and  after  all  I  found  we  were  to  get  the 
supply  at  some  village  ahead.  Came  to  a  halt  at  9.40, 
course  55°.  Here  we  got  a  few  small  baskets  of  meal 
and  a  couple  of  baskets  of  beans.  This  is  shabby  of 
Nauma,  after  the  handsome  present  I  made  him  ;  the 
more  so  as  I  have  only  received  from  him  a  couple  of 
cows  and  one  slaughter-ox.  Left  again  at  12.45.  No 
more  corn-fields  in  this  direction.  At  two  o'clock  en 
tered  the  bush  ;  bivouacked  at  3.50  ;  have  experienced 
very  great  trouble  with  the  people.  Nauma  has  sent 
me  the  whole  of  his  body-guard,  besides  a  number  of 
other  men.  These  fellows  are  accustomed  to  be  tyran 
nized  over  by  their  master,  and  now  that  they  find 
themselves  masterless  they  show  their  devilish  nature 
to  perfection  ;  a  greater  set  of  scoundrels  I  never  had 


THE  OVAQUAMYAMA  COUNTRY.         285 

to  deal  with.  What  on  earth  possessed  Nauma  to 
send  them  ?  If  he  had  given  me  three  or  four  men  it 
would  have  been  quite  sufficient,  and  I  feel  certain  I 
should  have  got  my  work  done  properly.  Now,  if  I 
issue  an  order,  there  is  a  general  stare,  and  then  a 
burst  of  laughter.  One  fellow  had  actually  the  inso 
lence  to  imitate  my  poor  limping  gait.  It  is  very  un 
profitable  and  undignified  to  be  running  after  these 
fellows  with  a  stick.  We  all  know  how  troublesome 
it  is  to  change  servants  ;  but  when  servants  are  every 
time  to  be  taught  their  duties  afresh  it  becomes  a  heart 
rending  affair. 

'•'Saturday,  igtk  May. — Thermometer,  half-hour 
before  sunrise,  58°.  Off  again  at  6.50  A.  M.  ;  came  to 
a  halt  at  eleven.  Road  frightfully  winding ;  hardly 
know  what  course  to  put  down  ;  say  65°.  Left  again 
at  2.29;  till  4.5  course  about  25°;  till  5.10,  when  we 
bivouacked,  45°.  Plenty  of  water  on  this  *  treck ; ' 
great  dearth  of  birds  and  game  ;  observed,  however, 
some  *  spoor.'  The  only  quadrupeds  hitherto  met 
with  were  a  few  zebras,  two  gnus,  and  a  steinbok. 
Sun  burned  very  much  in  the  afternoon. 

"  Sunday,  2Oth  May. — Thermometer  about  an  hour 
before  sunrise,  43°  ;  afternoon,  79°.  Thank  God  !  we 
are  quit  of  the  greater  part  of  our  escort.  What  is  left 
don't  promise  much  ;  I  never  was  more  disappointed  in 
my  life.  Left  bivouac  at  6.40;  came  to  halt  at  10.10 
A.M.  For  the  first  two-and-a-half  hours  course  about 
20°  ;  afternoon,  85°.  Road  very  winding.  Water  boils 
here  at  (defective  thermometer)  206°  ;  best,  206°  ;  atmo 
sphere  five  minutes  previously,  792"°.  If  correct,  this 
gives  a  fall  of  1,000  feet  since  leaving  Ovaguambi. 


286  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

Hardly  possible,  and  yet  I  cannot  be  mistaken.  The 
fall  and  drainage  of  the  Omurambas  are  directly  north 
ward  to  the  Cunene".  We  have  only  just  entered  the 
Ovaquamyama  country,  and  can,  therefore,  hardly  judge 
of  its  appearance.  Left  again  at  2.50  ;  came  abruptly 
to  a  standstill  as  early  as  3.40,  because  a  fellow  says 
something  about  having  to  conduct  us  to  the  chief  to 
morrow.  What  a  nuisance.  Course  about  85°  or  90°. 
Thus  far  I  rather  like  the  country  ;  it  is  a  great  change 
from  Ondonga  and  Waguambi.  You  cannot  see  a  ham 
let  here  till  close  upon  it,  being  invariable  buried,  in  or 
rather,  perhaps,  surrounded  with,  trees  or  bushes,  and 
the  whole,  often  several  miles  in  circuit,  encompassed 
by  a  stout  hedge  of  thorns.  There  are  plenty  of  fruit 
trees,  besides  the  ordinary  forest  trees,  but  only  one 
palm  as  yet.  I  have  great  hopes  of  making  a  good  col 
lection  of  specimens  of  natural  history,  should  Typan- 
deka,  the  chief  we  are  about  to  visit,  prove  favorable 
to  us.  The  Omurambas  have  plenty  of  water  and  water 
fowl.  Observed  large  numbers  of  Sabini.  The  speci 
mens  of  women  hitherto  seen  are  exceedingly  ugly  and 
unwomanly  in  appearance.  They  wear  large  skins 
clumsily  arranged  behind,  and  the  hair  is  outrageously 
dressed. 

"Monday,  2\st  May. — Treated  last  night  night  by 
the  chief  with  maggot-filled  beans  for  supper.  It  would 
seem  as  if  the  natives  could  not  keep  this  vegetable 
from  one  harvest  to  another  without  its  being  quite  de 
stroyed  by  worms.  However,  to  them,  I  dare  say  it  is 
of  no  consequence,  nay,  perhaps  an  advantage,  since, 
when  in  the  state  described,  the  beans  serve  for  both 
meat  and  bread.  Treated  to  an  extraordinary  spectacle 


A  TREACHEROUS   SHOT.  287 

this  morning.  A  number  of  women  suddenly  made 
their  appearance,  their  whole  bodies,  the  crown  of  the 
head  excepted,  being  covered  with  ashes,  giving  them 
the  most  hideous  appearance  ;  and,  to  heighten  the 
disfigurement,  they  had  strings  of  decayed  corn-stalks 
slung  across  their  shoulders,  which  produced  a  rattling 
sound  when  moving.  They  were  without  ornaments 
of  any  kind,  the  skins  being  attached  to  the  waist  by 
strips  of  bark. 

"  What  can  be  the  object  of  this  hideous  disfigure 
ment?  They  began  a  kind  of  chant  (one  woman  only 
in  the  first  instance)  terminating  in  a  general  shrill 
chorus,  with  a  shout  at  the  end  of  it.  Could  it  have 
been  as  a  compliment  to  us?  We  were  just  intending 
to  '  unspan,'  when  the  chief  insisted  on  our  awaiting  the 
return  of  the  messenger  from  Typandeka,  who  soon 
afterward  arrived,  telling  us  we  must  wait  three  days 
before  that  chief  could  receive  us.  I  felt  sure  this  was 
an  imposition,  but  said  nothing.  An  hour  afterward 
another  messenger  made  his  appearance,  who  informed 
us  we  might  *  treck '  to  the  chiefs  werft  the  next  day  at 
noon.  I  must,  however,  try  to  get  off  early  to-morrow 
morning,  as  I  cannot  stand  the  sun.  Axel  out  shoot 
ing,  but  obtained  only  a  few  ducks  and  some  common 
small  birds  ;  says  he  saw  some  Lamprotonies  of  a  new 
species,  but  from  the  description  he  gave  of  them,  I 
suspect  they  were  Talacoma  Retsi.  One  of  the  men 
accompanying  Axel  was  treacherously  shot  in  the  eye 
by  an  arrow.  The  poor  fellow's  companion  tried  to 
catch  the  intended  murderer,  but  the  bush  favored  his 
escape.  The  shaft  was  poisoned,  and,  in  extracting  it 


288  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

the  eye  was  pulled  out  of  the  socket.  Thermometer  at 
sunrise,  64° ;  noon,  84° ;  and  74°  at  sunset. 

"  Tuesday,  22d  May. — Thermometer  at  day-break 
46°.  The  people  told  me  not  to  '  treck  '  until  the  sun 
got  warm,  but  conceiving  this  to  be  merely  a  ruse  for 
their  own  convenience,  I  effected  a  start  at  7.19  ;  and 
when  they  saw  me  resolved,  no  opposition  was  at 
tempted.  At  first  our  course  was  nearly  330°,  afterward 
the  route  wound  about  so  very  greatly  that  I  am  unable 
to  determine  it,  perhaps  30  ,  350°.  About  twenty  min 
utes'  delay  ;  off  again  at  2.48  P.  M.  Arrived  at  Typan- 
deka's  at  5.45  ;  no  delay,  the  road  dreadfully  circuitous. 
For  the  first  hour  we  steered,  I  imagine  340°.  After 
ward  between  N.  and  45°.  Average  perhaps  15°. 

"  Compelled  to  strike  one  of  the  Ovaquamyama  fel 
lows  for  utter  disregard  to  my  orders,  upon  which  the 
scoundrel  had  the  audacity  to  level  an  arrow  at  me  ;  see 
ing  however  that  I  did  not  flinch,  he  thought  better  of  it; 
he  being  worse  than  useless  to  me  I  got  rid  of  him  forth. 
with.  The  rest,  though  bad  enough,  I  can  get  on  with. 

"  What  reception  shall  I  meet  with  from  Typandeka? 
The  success  of  my  future  efforts  depends  entirely  on  his 
good-will.  The  sight  of  a  white  man  and  his  accom 
paniments  are  still  a  curiosity.  Troops  of  men,  women, 
and  children  are  following  us  for  hours.  The  cart  seems 
chiefly  to  occupy  their  attention.  The  men,  so  far  as 
I  have  seen,  are  fine-looking  fellows,  while  the  women, 
on  the  contrary,  are  frequently  hideous  ;  in  great  part, 
however,  owing  to  their  attire.  The  way  the  hair  is 
dressed  is  remarkable  for  both  variety  and  ugliness  ;  it 
defies  all  description,  with  some  it  is  made  up  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  look  like  great  coils  of  snakes. 


VISIT  TO   THE   CHIEF.  289 

"  Astonishing  number  of  wild  fruit  trees  about  the 
hamlets  ;  but  the  palm  is  not  quite  so  frequently  seen 
as  in  Ondonga.  The  baobab  is  rather  common,  but 
quite  small.  The  fruit  is  just  ripe,  I  forgot  that  it  was 
eatable  till  I  saw  my  fellows  partaking  of  it  ;  it  has  a 
pleasant  taste,  and  contains  a  good  deal  of  yellowish 
white  pulp,  with  softish  kernels,  and  longitudinally  dis 
posed  thread-like  veins  which  greatly  interfere  with  the 
extraction  of  the  eatable  portion. 

"  I  have  seen  the  redoubtable  Typandeka,  and  was 
very  well    received.     He  even  took  me  to  his  werft, 
which  is  very  similar  to  Chykongo's,  but  more  lightly 
constructed.     The  palisading    is  higher.     After   walk 
ing  through  several  open  spaces,  we  entered  the  long 
avenue,   at   the   end    of  which    we   began    to  zig-zag. 
Counted  ten  doublings  ere  we  came  to  the  sanctum  sanc 
torum,  which  was  a  fine   large  space  surrounded  with 
three  or  four  huts,  evidently  his  sleeping  apartments. 
A  woman  covered  with  ornaments  entered  during  our 
ttte-a-tete,  and   on  asking  him  if  that   was  his  wife,  I 
understood  him  to  say  she  was  a  dowager  of  his  prede 
cessor,  but  I  am  not  sure.     Before  leaving  the  chief  I 
witnessed  some  dancing  of  both  sexes  (they  were  held 
apart).     The  women  clapped  their  hands  to  some  words 
pronounced  by  one  of  them,  the  rest  joining  in  chorus 
after  each  burst.     The  men  kept  jingling  two  sticks 
together,  individuals  occasionally  springing  out  a  few 
paces,  as  if  in  pursuit  of  something.     On  the  whole  it 
was  more  interesting  than  the  dancing  at  Ondonga. 

4  Typandeka  very  curious   to  know  who  was   the 
greatest  chief.     Of  course  there  was  but  one  answer, 
and    in    this    instance   quite    truthful.     Presented    me 
13 


290  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

with  a  fine  slaughter  ox.  The  chiefs  head  was  orna 
mented  with  a  great  many  (say  from  twenty  to 
thirty)  of  the  large  white  shells  so  much  valued  by 
African  savages.  He  had  also  several  about  each  arm, 
near  the  shoulder.  Round  his  waist  he  wore  an  enor 
mous  stiff  leathern  girdle,  quite  eighteen  inches  in 
breadth.  To  this  was  attached  four  immense  bunches 
of  finely  and  evenly  cut  reims,  arranged  one  behind 
and  three  in  front,  two  of  the  latter  being  situated  a 
little  higher  than  the  centre  one.  All  these  bunches 
are  dyed  jet  black,  while  the  girdle  is  smeared  and 
greased  with  some  red  stuff.  The  effect  is  good.  The 
figure  of  the  chief  is  somewhat  gawky,  and  he  walks 
badly.  The  ornaments  just  named  are  worn  by  com 
paratively  few.  Can  they  be  a  sign  of  rank  ? 

"  Wednesday,  2$d  May. — Took  excellent  southern 
star  observations  last  night,  but  only  one  northern, 
and  that  was  evidently  just  past  the  meridian.  If 
not  much  out,  the  difference  was  little  more  than  two 
minutes ;  am  anxious  to  get  a  few  more  to  certify  or 
disprove  this  approximation  to  correctness. 

"  Slaughtered  Typandeka's  ox,  which  yielded  ex 
cellent  meat,  but  little  or  no  inside  fat.  The  Ova- 
quamyama  are  getting  worse  and  worse  ;  am  half  dis 
tracted  as  to  what  is  to  be  done  with  them.  I  am 
afraid  to  touch  them  ;  must  try  and  send  home  the 
worst.  Typandeka  paid  me  a  visit  in  the  afternoon, 
brought  me  an  enormous  basket  of  meal ;  talks  of  buying 
my  flint-guns,  powder,  etc.  asked  him  what  he  would 
like  to  have,  should  my  wagon  return  this  way  from 
Otjimbingue,  but  could  get  no  decisive  answer.  Every 
thing  shown  to  him  he  would  buy  ;  this  I  much  doubt. 


GREAT   DISAPPOINTMENT.  29! 

"  Weather  rather  close  to-day,  though  the  ther 
mometer  only  ranged  at  sunrise,  55°;  noon,  81°;  sun 
set,  75°.  The  sun  scorches  very  much  in  the  after 
noon  ;  troubled  with  head  and  neck  ache  ;  very  poor 
ly  ;  Goliath  ill ;  Africa  improving,  I  think.  Finished 
my  letter  to  the  Portuguese  authorities,  in  English, 
Dutch,  and  Swedish.  The  Hollandish  gave  me  the 
only  trouble,  never  having  previously  indited  half-a- 
dozen  epistles  in  that  language,  and  those  were  ad 
dressed  to  people  who  understood  not  good  Dutch. 

"Axel  out  shooting,'but  met  with  no  success;  great 
scarcity  of  birds.  No  water,  and  consequently  no 
waders.  This  is  a  great  disappointment,  as  it  may 
compel  me  to  move  ahead  to  the  neighborhood  of  the 
river,  which  I  should  like  to  visit  first.  I  have  a  mind, 
instead  of  requesting  Typandeka  to  furnish  me  with 
men,  to  proceed  with  letter  to  the  commandant  at 
Humbi,  that  he  would  allow  some  of  his  people  to 
accompany  me  to  the  Cunene,  and  the  black  chief  of 
the  Ongombi  tribe,  who  I  don't  think  trusts  the  For 
tuguese.  Spoke  to  the  Ovaquamyama  last  night  about 
their  disobedience,  and  said  that  I  would  require  three 
of- them  to  stay  with  me  ;  they  appeared  satisfied  ;  but 
would  they  take  their  departure,  and  leave  those  I 
have  pointed  out?  I  will  not  trust  them. 

"  TJiursday,  2^t/i  May. — Thermometer  at  sunrise, 
51°  ;  noon,  81°  ;  sunset,  75°.  The  Ovaquamyama  have 
not  yet  faced  homeward  as  ordered  ;  urge  they  must 
first  be  told  by  Typandeka  that  they  are  to  do  so. 
Well,  if  they  choose  to  stay  I  will  not  feed  them. 

"  Sun  scorchingly  hot  in  the  afternoon,  suffered 
dreadfully  to-day ;  toward  evening  the  pain  became 


2Q2  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

almost  unbearable,  so  weak  as  hardly  to  be  able  to  hold 
up  my  head.  When  I  think  of  what  I  am  about  to 
undertake  in  my  present  debilitated  condition,  the  mat 
ter  looks  desperate,  but  I  must  not  be  disheartened  ;  I 
have  overcome  worse  difficulties.  Quite  at  a  loss  to 
know  what  course  to  pursue,  whether  to  attempt 
reaching  Humbi  first  by  going  there  on  horseback,  or 
trying  to  take  the  cart  as  far  as  the  river?  The  latter 
course  would  be  preferable,  as  I  don't  see  how  I  am  to 
divide  my  sick  and  weak  party.  On  inquiring  from  our 
Ovaquamyama  guide  as  to  the  nature  of  the  country 
in  advance,  he  declared  it  was  too  bushy  for  a  wagon, 
but  I  would  risk  that,  as  we  could  make  slow  and  short 
journeys. 

"  Friday,  2^th  May. — In  vain  I  tried  my  sextant 
last  night  with  fresh  corrections  to  index  glass  ;  the 
result  remains  the  same.  Curiously  enough,  the  merid 
ian  altitude  of  sun  gives  the  same  result  as  the  aver 
age  of  the  N.  and  S.,  and  S°.  Took  a  dose  of  morphia 
last  night,  which  helped  me  very  much,  and  made  me 
feel  less  heavy  in  the  morning.  In  the  afternoon  the 
pain  returned  in  all  its  force.  Visited  Typandeka  at 
his  request.  There  was  great  banqueting  going  on  ; 
no  men,  however,  except  such  as  entered  from  time  to 
time  for  orders,  seemed  to  be  allowed  in  his  own 
'  Kotla,'  only  some  of  his  wives  and  children.  Saw  the 
drummers  for  the  first  time  ;  they  hold  the  drum  be 
tween  the  legs,  just  above  the  knee,  and  then  stoop 
forward,  applying  chiefly  the  palms  of  their  hands  to 
the  parchment.  In  the  middle  of  the  latter  is  a  large 
black  patch  of  some  gluey  substance,  which  is  constantly 
applied  to.  One  purpose  is  evidently  for  stopping  up 


FEMALE  DECORATION.  293 

the  places  that  have  got  windy.  Made  a  rough  sketch 
of  the  chiefs  wife  ;  not  her  features,  for  she  could  not 
sit  still  a  moment,  but  her  dress  and  ornaments  I  got 
pretty  well.  The  decorations  on  the  heads  of  some  of 
the  women  consisted  of  huge  plaits  of  artificial  hair,  set 
closely  with  cowrie  shell,  the  whole  weighing  certainly 
not  less  than  thirty  or  forty  pounds.  The  women  thus 
decked  are  compelled  always  to  support  the  hair  with 
their  hands.  It  strikes  me  that  after  awhile  the  whole- 
is  cut  off,  for  many  women  have  quite  short  crops,  with 
a  few  beads  or  other  trifling  ornament  attached.  I  saw 
one  with  three  hair-pins,  the  top  forming  a  cross  of 
ivory  stuck  upright  at  the  back  of  the  head,  and  the 
effect  was  not  bad.  I  find  some  of  the  women  wear  a 
leathern  girdle,  with  huge  tassels  attached,  in  like  man 
ner  as  the  men.  Thermometer,  sunrise,  51^°;  noon, 
80°  ;  sunset,  75°. 

"Saturday,  26th  May. — Spent  a  wretched  night; 
am  afraid  I  have  to  thank  Typandeka's  beer  for  that. 
Poor  Axel  continues  to  suffer  from  toothache,  and 
Africa  is  in  bed.  Thus  not  one  of  us  in  health.  Night 
quite  close  and  very  cloudy.  Thermometer,  at  sun 
rise,  62°  ;  noon,  81°;  sunset,  72°.  Typandeka  has  pre 
sented  me  with  a  tusk  (ivory)  of  about  forty-five  pounds' 
weight,  and  a  cow  and  a  calf.  He  certainly  behaves 
well  toward  me  ;  better,  I  fancy,  than  any  other. 

"  Sunday,  2jth  May.— Hyenas  and  jackals  exceed 
ingly  troublesome  at  night ;  the  dogs  are  very  watchful, 
but  keep  a  safe  distance  from  the  first-named  brutes. 
Without  dogs,  however,  one  could  not  rest  in  safety, 
exposed  as  we  are.  To  set  a  spring-gun  would  be  of 
no.  use,  as  the  jackals  would  spoil  all.  Typandeka  with 


294  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

me  ;  spoke  to  him  about  ordering  such  of  the  Ovaqua- 
myama  as  I  did  not  require  .to  return  to  their  homes. 
He  seemed  but  half  inclined  to    undertake  the  task. 
At  all  events  I  am  determined  henceforth  only  to  supply 
three  of  them  with  food.     Made  the  chief  a  present  of 
two  pounds   of  coarse  powder,  and  five  pounds  of  com 
mon  beads.     I  find  only  certain  kinds  of  the   latter  are 
bought  for  ivory,  the  rest  cattle.     He  promised  me  two 
or    three  samples  of   the  former.     Rallied   him    about 
making    me   wait  a   day   behind   on   first  entering   his 
country,  to  which  he   replied,  that  the  werft  was  sickly 
at  the  time,  and  that  it  was  needful  to  purify  it  before 
I  could  be  seen.     Of  course  this  is  all  stuff.     Told  him 
to    treat  white   men  well,  as   it    was  by  so  doing  that 
Chykongo  had  become  the   great  man  he  was.     '  With 
what  shall  I  make  my  peace  with  them  ? '  he  inquired. 
'  Oh,  nothing    in    particular,'  I    rejoined;  'only    behave 
well  to  them,  and  don't  deny  their  reasonable  requests; 
if,  for  instance,  they   wish    to    hunt  elephants  in  your 
country,  or   to   visit  the  rivers,  give   them  men  and  let 
them  go.'     He   seemed   pleased  at  hearing  this,  as  my 
request  appeared  rather  to  startle  him. 

"  Monday,  2§th  May. — The  hyenas  continue  to  infest 
the  neighborhood  during  the  night,  but  all  the  dogs 
being  then  at  large,  we  are  well  guarded.  Were  I  well 
I  would  endeavor  to  kill  some  of  them.  The  glands  at 
the  back  of  my  throat  are  now  swollen  to  such  an  ex 
tent  that  it  is  with  the  utmost  difficulty  and  pain  I  can 
swallow  anything,  even  though  it  be  only  a  little  liquid. 
The  ailment  has  assumed  a  more  serious  form  than  at 
Ondonga,  where  I  had  the  white  sore  throat  badly 
enough  ;  it  now  affects  my  whole  head,  and  I  have  dif- 


A   PITEOUS   GATHERING. 


295 


ficulty  in  pronouncing  a  few  words.  May  it  all  end  for 
the  best  !  But  may  it  please  Thee,  Almighty  God,  to 
afford  me  some  relief,  as  in  my  present  weak  condition 
I  cannot  well  withstand  such  a  complication  of  dis 
orders.  Poor  Axel's  teeth  continue  to  give  him  much 
pain,  and  Goliath  is  helpless  with  his  aching  leg.  Truly 
we  are  a  piteous  gathering.  The  Ovaquamyama  have 
at  length  taken  themselves  off,  leaving  me  only  two  boys, 
which  is  just  one  too  few  for  my  purpose.  I  thought 
at  one  time  that  every  soul  of  them  had  deserted. 
Another  basket  of  meal  ;  but  we  are  getting  too  much, 
as,  do  what  we  will,  that  which  we  already  possess  is 
spoiling.  Thermometer  at  sunrise,  53°  ;  noon,  80°. 

"  Tuesday,  2^th  May.— Thank  God  !  the  swelling  in 
my  throat  has  burst,  and  a  quantity  of  disagreeable 
matter  came  away,  which  afforded  instant  relief;  and, 
so  far  as  the  infliction  in  question  is  concerned,  I  now 
entertain  hopes  of  a  speedy  recovery.  Very  ill  in  the 
afternoon,  arising  in  great  measure,  I  doubt  not,  from 
indulging  in  a  cup  of  sour  milk  during  the  last  two  days. 
It  is  clear  I  must  stick  to  solids  as  much  as  possible. 
The  coldest  day  we  have  yet  had  ;  the  thermometer 
not  rising  to  80°  ;  at  sunrise,  48°  ;  noon  to  two  o'clock, 
79° ;  sunset,  72°. 

"  Wednesday,  $oth  May.— Typandeka  sent  to  say  he 
was  sick,  and  wished  me  to  come  to  him  ;  but  I  had 
neither  horse  nor  man  at  command.  Very  ill  the  whole 
afternoon  ;  the  nights  and  mornings  are  just  bearable  ; 
the  rest  of  the  day  I  am  so  weak  that  it  is  with  difficulty 
I  can  rise  from  my  seat.  Toward  nightfall,  moreover, 
headache  and  pains  in  the  back  of  the  neck  set  in  with 
great  severity.  Africa  very  poorly  ;  Axel  obliged  to 


296  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

lie  down  for  awhile  owing  to  toothache  and  cold  shiv- 
erings,  but  toward,  evening  was  much  better.  I  quite 
dread  his  falling  ill,  as  he  is  now  the  only  one  I  have 
to  depend  on.  Read  in  Smollett  to-day  how  the  Duke 
of  Buckingham  (Villiers)  debauched  the  Countess  of 
Shrewsbury,  and  then  published  her  shame  ;  and  not 
content  with  this,  he  so  repeatedly  taunted  her  husband 
that  the  poor  fellow  was  at  last  compelled  to  send  him 
a  challenge,  which  proved  at  once  fatal  to  him.  The 
same  day  the  brutal  Duke  proceeded  to  the  deceased's 
seat,  where  he  lay  with  his  wife,  having  previously 
shown  her  the  blood  of  her  husband  on  his  sword.  I 
am  afraid  I  shall  never  get  this  terrible  tale  out  of  my 
head,  and  I  fervently  thank  God  I  don't  live  in  an  age 
when  brutality  and  force  were  the  only  qualities  that 
ennobled  a  man.  Good  God  !  that  such  crimes  should 
really  be  overlooked,  and  the  man  who  committed  them 
actually  honored  with  the  first  place  in  the  king's 
regards. 

"  Thursday,  ^\st  May. — Typandeka  with  me  ;  asked 
him  as  to  the  situation  of  the  iron  mine,  which  he  says 
is  not  far  distant,  and  within  his  own  country.  As 
regards  the  last  point,  I  have  my  doubts,  being  in 
clined  to  think  it  lies  in  some  district  impoverished  by 
his  invasions.  Promised  to  procure  me  a  specimen  of 
the  ore.  He  declares  that,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
tusks  of  cow-elephants  scattered  about  his  werft,  he 
has  no  ivory  whatever ;  if  so,  he  must  then  have  sold 
it  to  the  Portuguese  since  Een  was  here.  Promised 
me  a  basket  and  a  copper-sheathed  knife. 

"  Friday,  1st  June. — The  chief  sent  me  as  a  present 
a  four-pound  tusk.  Axel  taken  ill  with  fever  during 


A  SULKY  OVAQUAMYAMA.  297 

the  night.  Went  out  shooting  myself,  but  the  horse 
having  walked  from  me,  I  was  compelled  to  foot  it 
home.  Fortunately  I  was  equal  to  the  task  ;  but  had 
the  same  thing  happened  in  the  afternoon  instead  of 
the  morning,  I  must  have  been  left  in  the  veldt.  Killed 
a  fine  handsome  specimen  of  what  I  fancy  is  to  be  a 
new  species  of  Lampr atonies.  In  the  afternoon  very 
ill ;  Africa  also  weak,  and  unable  to  do  any  kind  of 
work.  It  is  strange  we  should  all  be  attacked  with  low 
fever.  Can  there  be  anything  in  Typandeka's  assertion 
that  our  camp  is  too  cold.  I  have  no  doubt  there  is 
water  beneath  us,  for  I  find  the  natives  often  digging 
at  the  root  of  fig-trees. 

"  Saturday,  2d  June. — Axel  so  much  better  as  to 
be  able  to  go  about  his  ordinary  business.  As  for  my 
self  I  am  wretched  ;  my  bowels  must  be  terribly  out  of 
order.  One  of  the  Ovaquamyama  lads  sulky,  and  has 
actually  run  away.  I  must  try  to  catch  the  scoundrel, 
and,  at  all  risks,  give  him  a  good  flogging.  Thermom 
eter  at  sunrise,  48°  ;  noon  78°  ;  sunset,  74°. 

"Sunday,  ^d  June. — Very  poorly,  my  stomach  is 
becoming  almost  as  disorded  as  when  at  Ondonga.  I 
must  take  more  exercise ;  but  it  hurts  me,  the  head 
being  always  more  or  less  affected  thereby.  Typan- 
deka  sent  word  he  would  visit  me,  and  that  some  ivory 
would  be  forthcoming  for  the  guns.  Informed  him  in 
reply  that  I  myself  was  very  ill,  which,  as  he  did  not 
make  his  appearance,  probably  prevented  his  coming. 
Thermometer  at  sunrise,  42°  ;  noon,  79°  ;  sunset,  72°. 

"  Monday,  ^th  June. — Spent  a  dreadful  night,  and 
thinking  greater  exercise  might  do  me  good,  took  a 
long  ride  in  a  new  direction.  Swallowed  a  dose  of 

13* 


298  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

salts  this  morning,  as  I  am  perfectly  constipated. 
Africa  continues  weak.  Typandeka  with  me  ;  told 
him  of  my  desire  to  visit  the  Cunene"  and  Humbi.  To 
my  proceeding  to  the  river  he  had  no  objection  to 
make,  but  said  it  was  useless  for  me  to  go  to  Humbi,  as 
the  people  there  were  unfriendly.  This  is  all  nonsense. 
In  my  very  helpless  state,  however,  I  can  do  nothing 
but  bide  events,  and  some  lucky  incident  may  yet  enable 
me  to  put  myself  in  communication  with  the  Portu 
guese.  If  not,  I  shall  probably  retrace  my  steps  to 
Ondonga,  as  soon  as  possible,  and  from  thence  to  Da- 
maraland.  My  health  will  never  hold  out  another 
year  without  medical  aid.  Asked  Typandeka  to  send 
one  of  the  Bangara  traders  to  me.  Thermometer  at 
sunrise,  41°  ;  noon,  74°;  sunset,  68°.  This  is  one  of 
the  coldest  days  we  have  had.  A  northerly  breeze, 
which  is  quite  unusual,  has  been  blowing. 

"  Tuesday,  $tk  June.  —  Thermometer  at  sunrise, 
40°  ;  noon,  74°.  Out  shooting ;  both  the  Ovaquamyama 
boys  hiding  away  in  the  bush  ;  have  sent  to  the  chief, 
requesting  him  to  furnish  me  with  others  in  their  stead. 
Trust  he  will  grant  my  request,  for  this  is  quite  dis 


tressing. 


"  Wednesday,  6th  June. — The  lads  just  spoken  of  ap 
peared  by  the  cattle  in  the  course  of  the  morning;  gave 
them  no  food  last  night,  which  acted  better  than  a  flog 
ging,  for  there  was  no  trouble  with  them  to-day,  but 
how  long  will  it  last  ?  Typandeka  sent  for  me  in  the 
afternoon  ;  but  being  very  unwell  I  felt  half  inclined  to 
refuse  the  invitation  ;  went,  however,  to  his  werft, 
where  I  was  kept  waiting  a  full  hour,  and  when  I  saw 
him  he  seemed  half  drunk.  He  offered  me  some  Portu- 


VILLAGES  VERY   NUMEROUS.  299 

guese  brandy,  which  I  refused  with  disgust  ;  he  also 
proffered  me  two  kinds  of  beer,  one  of  them  so  full  of 
meal  that  it  might  be  said  to  contain  both  food  and 
drink. 

"  Thursday,  jth.Junc. — The  chief  made  his  appear 
ance  about  9  o'clock,  with  some  men  ;  at  11.30  A.M.,  I 
succeeded  in  making  a  start.  Axel  played  me  a  thought 
less  trick  at  the  outset,  which  nearly  put  an  end  to  the 
day's  journey  ;  but  luckily  all  terminated  satisfactorily 
at  the  expense  of  some  twenty  minutes'  delay.  Pro 
ceeded  till  4.40  P.  M.,  when  I  off-saddled  ;  the  guides 
wanted  to  go  farther,  but  I  was  quite  done  up  ;  course 
at  first  pretty  steady  at  155°,  but  varied;  afterward 
between  155°  and  140°,  the  last  half  hour  we  even  went 
I2OC;  nevertheless  the  average  will  probably  be  150°. 
Travelled  at  a  good  pace 

•'  As  far  as  we  have  thus  come  there  would  be  no 
difficulty  about  bringing  a  wagon ;  we  only  passed  two 
insignificant  bushes.  In  traversing  the  last  wood,  which 
offered  no  impediment  to  our  vehicle,  I  observed  the 
singular  fact  that  nearly  every  tree  of  a  certain  species 
was  all  but  destroyed,  little  more  than  the  trunk  itself, 
and  sometimes  not  even  that,  remaining.  It  must  be 
a  very  brittle  wood  and  easily  injured  ;  no  other  tree 
seemed  to  have  suffered  any  damage. 

"  Friday,  §th  June. — Thermometer  at  sunrise,  44°. 
Left  bivouac  at  7.30  A.  M.  ;  road  frightfully  winding.  For 
the  two-and-a-half  hours  I  was  at  a  loss  to  put  down 
a  course,  say  140°.  Came  to  a  halt  at  11.10;  nearly 
an  hour's  delay,  and  slow,  irregular  travelling. 

"  Up  to  this  point  villages  very  numerous,  and  there 
seemed  more  corn,  which  grows  to  great  perfection. 


300  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

Observed  no  jungle  forest,  but  immense  number  of 
baobabs.  Off  again  at  two  o'clock.  Find  our  halting 
place  is  really  the  end  of  the  inhabited  portion  of  the 
country  to  the  westward.  Came  to  a  halt  after  what 
I  fancied  must  have  been  two-and^half  hours'  smart 
travelling,  but  cannot  tell  exactly,  as  my  watch  got  one 
of  her  fits  to  stop.  Passed  several  vleys,  but  not  a 
water-bird  to  be  seen.  Regular  Waguambi  bush  and 
forest ;  hitherto  there  have  been  no  particular  obstacles 
for  a  wagon.  Deadly  ill;  drink  large  quantities  of  icy- 
cold  water.  I  dare  say  it  does  me  no  good,  but  I  can 
not  help  it.  Got  large  reinforcement  of  men  to  our 
original  outfit,  some  thirty  in  all  now.  I  suppose  they 
are  afraid  to  visit  the  river  in  small  parties.  Course 
nearly  140°. 

"Saturday,  gth  June. — Left  bivouac  at  5.55  A.  M. ; 
came  to  a  halt  at  9.35  ;  two  minutes'  delay.  Course 
most  variable;  for  the  first  two  hours  perhaps  130°, 
afterward  as  much  as  150°,  if  not  more  northerly.  I 
never  travelled  with  any  natives  who  understood  mov 
ing  on  a  straight  line  so  little.  Every  five  minutes  we 
are  off  at  an  angle  of  45°. 

"  Saw  one  wild  pig  and  an  ostrich.  Axel  fired  un 
successfully  at  the  former.  I  fancy  the  lad  got  fright 
ened,  as  the  pig  was  coming  toward  him,  probably  with 
a  view  of  seeing  what  object  it  could  be.  The  country 
seems  very  destitute  of  game,  but  there  are  spoors  of 
elands,  giraffes,  and  gemsboks.  Off  again  at  twelve  ; 
bivouacked  at  three  o'clock;  course  for  the  first  two 
hours  nearly  north,  or  about  170°,  afterward,  perhaps 
140°.  The  people,  who  have  now  become  utterly  un 
manageable,  move  about  in  the  most  disorderly  man- 


FOUND   A   FINE  VLEY.  30! 

ner.  They  chase  squirrels  the  whole  day.  Observed  a 
troop  of  hartebeest,  and  another  of  elands.  Country 
quite  open  for  wagons ;  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  people 
are  taking  us  a  circuitous  route,  but  for  what  purpose 
heaven  only  knows. 

"Sunday,  lot/i  June. — Thermometer  at  sunrise  50°. 
Left  bivouac  at  6.18  A.  M.  ;  came  to  a  halt  at  9.18,  per 
haps  ten  minutes'  delay ;  course  nearly  north.  Sud 
denly  abandoned  this  morning,  not  only  by  the  two 
Ovaquamyama  lads,  but  by  all  Typandeka's  people,  the 
guide  included.  What  can  be  the  meaning  of  such  vil 
lainous  conduct  ?  Surely  the  chief  never  meant  us  to 
be  conveyed  into  a  perfect  desert,  and  there  left  to  shift 
for  ourselves  ?  However,  if  they  thought  that  by  leav 
ing  us  they  would  cause  us  to  turn  back,  they  will  find 
themselves  egregiously  mistaken.  It  is  not  the  first 
time  I  have  been  thus  treacherously  dealt  with;  but 
then  I  had  my  own  men  in  sufficient  numbers.  Now 
there  are  but  two  left  to  me,  one  of  whom  must  carry 
a  heavy  burden,  and  he,  moreover,  is  weak  and  ailing  in 
his  leg  ;  but  what  I  most  dread  is  the  want  of  water. 
Of  food  we  have  as  yet  enough,  but  the  precious  liquid 
seems  scarce.  I  was  very  thankful  therefore,  when  I 
found  a  fine  vley  after  three  hours' vtravel.  Observed 
bustard,  gemsboks,  wild  pigs,  and  a  troop  of  elands. 
Axel  had  a  shot  at  one  of  the  latter,  and  says  he 
wounded  it.  Off  again  at  1.50  P.  M.  ;  bivouacked  at 
4.30.  Course  nearly  160°  ;  travelled  steadily  and  with 
out  delay.  Saw  much  game,  both  four-footed  and 
feathered  ;  as  also  the  recent  tracks  of  others.  Franco 
lins,  of  more  than  one  kind,  were  very  abundant.  Our 
Otjimbingue  friend  killed  an  individual  which  I  at  first 


302  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

took  to  be  new  to  me,  but  it  may  be  Fr.  S.,  only  it  is 
so  small.  Was  fortunate  enough  to  find  a  fine  vley  of 
water,  by  which  we  bivouac.  Thus  one  day  of  our  for 
lorn  condition  is  happily  ended. 

"Monday,  nth  June. — Thermometer  at  sunrise,  45°. 
Left  camp  at  5.53  ;  came  to  a  halt  at  seven,  in  conse 
quence  of  Axel  having  a  violent  attack  of  tooth-ache. 
This  is  a  great  drawback,  as  one  does  not  know  when 
he  will  get  better  of  it.  Lions  about  during  the  night 
and  this  morning.  Axel's  ox  ran  away  with  and  threw 
him,  breaking  girths,  nose-rein,  etc.  Have  had  the 
great  misfortune  to  lose  my  watch  keys;  and,  as  ill-luck 
will  have  it,  I  have  no  pinchers  or  tongs  small  enough 
to  serve  as  substitutes.  Got  a  real  fright ;  for  a  couple 
of  hours  both  horse  and  cattle  were  lost  to  us,  having 
strayed  to  a  distance  ;  their  disappearance  for  good 
would  have  been  tantamount  to  the  sacrifice  of  my 
own  life,  at  least,  since  I  can  hardly  walk  a  distance  of 
one  hundred  paces. 

"  Tuesday,  \2th  June. — Thermometer  at  day-break, 
45°.  Left  bivouac  some  twenty  minutes  before  sun 
rise  ;  and  after,  as  nearly  as  I  can  guess,  two  and  a-half 
hours'  travel,  reached  the  Cunene,  or  rather  its  over 
flowings,  for  no  stream  was  visible  to  the  eye,  all  that 
was  to  be  seen  being  an  immense  expanse  of  reeds  and 
rushes,  where  we  again  came  to  a  halt.  Both  Axel  and 
Goliath  seemed  much  gratified  that  I  had  brought 
them  thus  far  in  safety. 

"  On  the  way  from  our  last  bivouac,  we  observed 
some  giraffes,  and  Axel,  who  by  this  time  had  recov 
ered  from  his  tooth-ache,  shot  a  duiker',  and  in  the  reeds 
now  before  us  we  noticed  some  antelopes,  and  an  abun- 


MAGNIFICENT   SCENERY   ON   THE   CUNENE.        303 

dance  of  water-fowl.  The  forest,  moreover,  swarming 
with  birds.  Water  boils  here  at  107^°  ;  atmosphere 
shortly  before  88°.  No,  it  was  next  to  impossible  to 
read  off  the  true  thermometer,  it  having  become  so 
blackened  ;  the  defective  one,  however,  reads  about  the 
same.  In  the  afternoon,  while  debating  as  to  the  like 
lihood  of  our  soonest  reaching  the  river  by  following 
the  reeds  in  question  in  an  eastern  or  western  direction, 
some  seven  or  eight  natives,  a  few  of  them  armed  with 
the  old  Portuguese  musket,  suddenly  made  their  ap 
pearance,  and  that  without  showing  signs  either  of  sur 
prise  or  apprehension.  I  gave  them  some  Cavendish 
tobacco  and  meat,  with  which  they  seemed  mightily 
pleased ;  fortunately,  they  understood  the  Damara 
language  so  well  that  Goliath  was  enabled  to  converse 
with  them  pretty  fairly.  Told  us  they  belonged  to 
Humbi,  or  Gombe,  as  it  was  pronounced  in  these  parts, 
and  that  we  were  not  far  from  thence  ;  that  we  must 
follow  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  then  an  Omuramba, 
which  would  lead  us  to  the  ferry,  where  we  had  only 
to  shout  to  be  heard  by  the  ferry-men  on  the  other 
side,  and  to  be  responded  to.  The  commandant,  they 
said,  would  be  delighted  to  see  us.  May  all  this  prove 
true  ;  as  to  the  river  itself  they  described  it  as  small. 
How  can  this  be  ?  All  Europeans  who  have  been 
favored  with  a  sight  of  the  Cunene,  have  described  it 
as  a  glorious  river,  with  magnifient  scenery  on  its  banks. 
The  only  explanation  I  can  give  is  that,  from  the 
country  hereabouts  being  so  flat,  the  side-flowings 
absorb  so  much  of  the  main  stream.  In  some  parts 
the  vegetation  reminds  one  of  the  Okavango  and  the 
Teoughe.  Evidently  much  game  hereabouts.  Axel 


304  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

had  a  couple  of"  shots  at  pallahs,  and  says  he  saw  two 
dark  brown  antelopes  without  either  horns  or  tails! 
What  on  earth  could  they  have  been  ? 

"  Wednesday,  \  ^th  June. — Could  hardly  shut  my  eyes 
last  night,  from  thinking  of  the  pack-oxen,  which  man 
aged  to  elude  our  attention  just  before  tying-up  time. 
As  soon  as  it  was  light  enough,  I  set  out,  with  Goliath 
and  Axel,  in  search  of  the  animals,  hoping  to  find  them 
close  to  our  camp;  but  in  this  I  was  wofully  disap 
pointed  ;  had  the  utmost  difficulty  in  discovering  and 
following  their  '  spoor,'  which  was  lost  dozens  of  times, 
I  accompanied  the  lads  to  near  our  former  bivouac 
when  I  returned  to  camp,  giving  them  strict  injunctions 
not  to  show  themselves  without  the  cattle.  It  seems 
these  had  touched  and  drunk  at  the  vley,  and  then, 
without  stopping  to  feed,  had  pursued  their  course  for 
Ovaquamyama  ;  however,  they  were  overtaken  before 
they  had  gone  far,  and  were  safely  brought  back  in  the 
afternoon.  Now,  suppose  they  had  been  lost  in  earn 
est,  our  lot  would  have  been  a  miserable  one.  I  have 
not  enough  people  to  attend  to  everything,  and  feel 
sure  that  the  brutes  will  continue  to  give  us  trouble 
and  anxiety  as  we  proceed.  Lions  about  during  the 
night.  It  is  a  great  mercy  they  did  not  come  across 
the  strayed  cattle.  Thermometer  at  sunrise,  43!-° ;  noon, 
88°  ;  and  in  the  sun,  105°.  Having  Ipst  so  much  time, 
I  packed  up  in  the  afternoon  ;  but  it  was  a  foolish  thing 
to  do,  as  both  men  and  beasts  were  fagged.  The  sun, 
moreover,  is  frightfully  scorching.  Goliath  suffers  so 
much  from  his  leg  that  he  is  unable  to  walk,  and  stands 
with  difficulty.  After  more  than  an  hour's  languid 
travelling,  we  bivouacked  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 


MESSAGE  TO   GOMBE.  305 

which  we  can  now  fairly  see  for  the  first  time  ;  but  it  is 
as  yet  an  insignificant  stream.  Excessively  poorly. 

"  TJiursday,  \^th  June. — Goliath,  managed  to  assist 
in  packing  the  oxen  ;  gave  him  one  to  ride,  while  Axel 
carried  the  sextant,  etc.  After  about  one  and  a  half 
hours'  travel  we  came  to  a  place  where  many  paths  met, 
and  where  people  had  been  sleeping  ;  thought  it  best 
to  pack-off  and  shout.  The  Gombe  men  spoken  of, 
said  the  ferry  was  not  far  off,  and  I  am  afraid  of  pass 
ing  it,  the  more  so  as  the  road  ahead  does  not  look 
near  so  well  beaten.  After  an  immense  deal  of  shout 
ing  and  bawling,  we  were  at  length  answered,  and  in 
the  afternoon  five  men  made  their  appearance ;  treated 
them  to  snuff  and  a  little  meat,  and  sent  them  up  to 
inform  the  Commandment  at  Humbi  of  my  arrival. 
Gave  them  a  copy  of  my  passports,  and  a  short  note  to 
their  chief;  trust  they  will  safely  deliver  the  little 
packet,  which  they  took  charge  of  with  considerable 
distrust. 

"  Friday,  i^th  June. — Thermometer  at  sunrise,  43^-°  ; 
and  at  mid-day,  87°.  In  the  afternoon  the  men  to  whom 
I  had  intrusted  my  letter  returned  with  it  unopened, 
and  of  course  unread.  This  made  me  at  once  suspect 
they  had  never  delivered  it.  Nor  could  we  make  head 
or  tale  of  their  statements,  which  were  mere  rigmarole. 
However,  they  said  the  white  men  were  awaiting  us, 
and  that  we  had  better  cross  over  ;  the  werft,  they 
added,  was  not  far  off.  I  did  not  much  like  following 
their  advice,  but,  seeing  no  better  alternative,  we  sad 
dled  up  and  went  down  to  the  river,  where,  after  taking 
the  things  from  off  the  cattle,  we  were  told  we  must  pay 
before  proceeding  further.  This  at  once  confirmed  my 


306  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

suspicions  as  to  their  never  having  informed  the  Portu 
guese  of  our  arrival.  I  was  taken  a  little  aback,  and 
told  them  that  I  did  not  know  that  it  was  customary  to 
pay  beforehand,  but  that,  nevertheless,  I  would  do 
what  was  reasonable.  'What  would  be  the  payment? 
I  inquired.  '  Beads,  a  coat,  calico,  or  the  like,'  was  the 
reply.  I  had  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  to  spare, 
but  promised  to  procure  the  needful  from  the  Portu 
guese  as  soon  as  we  arrived  at  their  station.  *  No,'  said 
they,  '  we  will  first  go  home,  but  return  early  to-mor 
row.'  '  If  such  be  the  case,'  I  said,  in  rejoinder,  4  you 
will  not  find  us  here.'  But  they  remained  deaf  to  my 
remonstrances,  probably  never  dreaming  that  I  would 
keep  my  word,  and  departed  the  way  they  came.  When 
they  were  gone,  we  returned  to  our  bivouac,  which, 
though  only  a  few  hundred  yards  distant,  I  was  hardly 
able  to  reach  from  weakness,  and  where,  after  vomiting 
a  great  quantity  of  water,  I  all  but  swooned  away. 

"Saturday,  \6tk  June. — So  ill  for  a  few  hours  last 
night  that  I  almost  despaired  of  my  life ;  another  such 
attack  or  two  would,  I  feel  certain,  prove  fatal.  It 
seems  to  me  that  life  at  times  hangs  on  an  elastic  string, 
which  an  unusual  tension  will  instantly  sever.  If  it 
were  not  for  the  few  drops  of  morphia  that  I  take 
nightly,  I  should  never  be  able  to  resist  these  repeated 
attacks  of  excessive  weakness.  At  times  I  think  it  a 
little  hard  never  more  to  see  the  faces  of  the  beloved 
ones,  but  then  I  resign  myself  to  God's  will. 

"  Left  bivouac  at  sunrise  ;  got  back  to  our  old  sleep 
ing  place  in  good  time.  Observed  numerous  pallahs, 
and  had  I  been  provided  with  a  rifle  could  easily  have 
brought  down  a  couple.  Succeed  at  last  in  securing 


A   LARGE   MALE   LION.  307 

the  new  craterope,  that  I  have  observed  since  our  arri 
val  on  the  river. 

"  Just  at  dusk  Axel  succeeded  in  knocking  over  a 
large  male  water-buck  (A igocerus  Ellipsiprymnus),  proba 
bly  an  adult.  I  wish  it  had  been  a  pallah  instead,  as  its 
flesh  is  reported  to  be  most  unpalatable ;  however,  it 
is  meat,  and  we  are  now  safe  from  starvation.  But  we 
can  only  carry  a  small  portion  /with  us  ;  it  is  to  be 
hoped,  however,  the  natives  will  come,  when  we  might 
exchange  as  much  as  we  don't  require  for  vegeta 
bles,  etc. 

"Sunday,  \jth  June. — The  meat  of  the  water-buck 
answers  to  its  ill-repute,  being  excessively  tough  and 
unsavory  ;  even  the  heart  and  liver  are  barely  eatable. 
In  the  afternoon  a  number  of  Humbi  men  made  their 
appearance ;  treated  them  to  meat  and  tobacco,  and 
offered  to  exchange  some  of  the  former  for  meal,  beans, 
etc. ;  said  they  were  willing,  and  would  return  to-morrow 
with  the  needful ;  hope  they  will  keep  their  word,  as 
Axel,  my  store-keeper,  is  now  without  the  former,  and 
his  beans  are  all  but  gone  also.  Excessively  ill  my 
self;  had  a  sharp  attack  of  ague. 

" Monday,  \Wi  June. — Axel  came  full  upon  a  large 
male  lion  this  morning  as  he  was  seeking  for  a  wounded 
bird  ;  this  is  the  second  time  he  has  been  lucky  enough 
to  fall  in  with  one  of  those  beasts.  He  says  it  took 
not  the  slightest  notice  of  him,  and  to  the  report  of 
his  gun  was  equally  indifferent." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Premonitions  of  death — Axel  Ericson's  account  of  Andersson's  last 
days — Extreme  sufferings — Death  of  the  traveller — Notice  of  his 
career  and  death  in  the  "  Cape  Town  Mail " — General  regret  in 
Sweden — Recognition  of  his  merits  as  a  Discoverer — In  Memoriam. 

ON  the  1 6th  of  June,  as  shown  by  Andersson's 
Journal,  he  retraced  his  steps  to  his  former  en 
campments,  where  he  remained  until  the  1 8th  ;  when, 
worn-out  with  his  manifold  sufferings,  and  chagrined  at 
the  treatment  he  had  met  with  at  the  hands  of  the 
ferrymen,  he  turned  his  back  on  the  Cunene",  and  set 
off  on  his  return  to  Ondonga,  and  this  under  no  very 
favorable  auspices;  as  to  say  nothing  of  his  most 
miserable  state  of  health,  his  whole  escort,  so  to  speak, 
consisted  merely  of  the  two  lads,  Axel  and  Goliath,  the 
rest  of  his  people,  as  recently  shown,  having  deserted 
him. 

But  this  his  retrograde  movement  was  made  too 
late,  for  the  hand  of  death  was  then  upon  him,  ar\d 
though  he  lingered  a  short  time  longer,  in  which  his 
sufferings  would  appear  to  have  been  dreadful:  yet, 
with  the  exception  of  a  letter  to  one  of  his  people 
regarding  his  worldly  affairs,  and  a  most  affectionate  one 
to  his  poor  wife,*  both  of  which  were  penned  only  a 

*  After  speaking  of  some  private  matters,  he  goes  on  to  say  : 
"  I  wanted  to  have   told  you  a  long  time  ago   of  my  approaching 
death,  but  had  not  the  courage  to  do  so  ;  and  now  I  find  it  is  nearly  too 


PREMONITIONS   OF  DEATH.  309 

day  or  two  before  his  dissolution,  he  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  capable  of  any  exertion  whatever.  We 
are,  therefore,  indebted  for  what  is  known  of  his  last 
days  to  his  faithful  follower,  Axel  Ericson,  who,  in  a 
letter  to  poor  Mrs.  Andersson,  says  : 

"  Not  hearing  further  from  the  Bangarris,  and  no 
other  course  being  left  to  him,  Mr.  Andersson,  then 
worn  out  with  illness,  determined  on  retracing  his  steps 
to  Ondonga.  On  the  fourth  day,  we  reached  the  first 
of  the  Ovaquamyama  werfts,  but  the  people  refused  to 
show  us  the  way  to  the  chiefs  residence,  and  we  were 
therefore  necessitated  to  find  it  out  as  best  we  could  by 
the  aid  of  the  compass.  At  length,  on  the  sixth  day, 
we  arrived  at  Typandeka's  abode,  Mr.  Andersson  being 
then  quite  exhausted,  when  I  immediately  made  his 
bed  in  the  cart,  and  from  this  bed  he  was  never  able 
to  rise  without  my  assistance. 

"  One  of  the  head  men,  shortly  after  our  arrival, 
came  over  to  visit  Mr.  Andersson,  who  requested  to  see 
Typandeka  himself,  with  whom,  as  he  told  the  man,  he 

late,  as  I  am  dying  fast  from  the  united  effects  of  extreme  debility, 
dysentery,  etc.  I  have  been  senseless  more  than  once  during  the  last  few 
days,  but  have  at  last  roused  myself  to  this  last  effort. 

"  Oh  !  blessed  wife,  we  shall  never  meet  in  this  life  again,  but  surely 
in  the  next.  I  had  thoughts  of  turning  this  journey  to  such  good  account 
for  my  poor  family  :  and  though  it  may  have  cost  me  my  life,  it  is  to  be 
hoped  it  will  bring  something  to  your  home,  poor  wife  !  I  can  see  you  so 
overwhelmed  with  grief  when  these  lines  reach  you,  and  that  you  learn 
my  bones  are  bleaching  in  this  distant  wilderness. 

"  I  feel  ill-prepared  to  leave  this  world  ;  but  I  trust  in  God's  mercy, 
and,  above  all,  in  His  immeasurable  love  in  sacrificing  His  only  Son  in 
order  to  redeem  a  wicked  mankind.  .  I  very  much  want  Divine  consola 
tion  and  support.  A  good  honest  clergyman  would  be  a  boon  in  my 
poor  forlorn  condition  ;  but  I  too  weak  to  write  more." 


310  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

was  greatly  displeased.  But  not  until  eight  days  after 
ward  did  the  chief  make  his  appearance,  and  then  he 
looked  afraid,  and  would  not  venture  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  tree  where  we  had  encamped,  but  sat  down  at  some 
little  distance.  1  had  to  lay  some  skins  and  karosses 
on  the  ground  near  to  the  chief,  and  thence  to  carry  my 
poor  master,  the  tears  flowing  from  my  eyes  while 
I  bore  him  like  a  child  in  my  arms.  All  he  said 
to  Typandeka  was  :  '  Behold  what  your  people  have 
done.  I  shall  let  Nauma,  Ochikongo,  and  Kamaherero 
know  of  it.'  After  this  he  requested  me  to  carry  him 
back  again  to  the  cart. 

"  The  third  day  after  our  arrival  at  Typandeka's 
werft,  he  said  to  me,  *  Axel,  my  last  day  is  near';  and 
on  the  following  one,  June  27,  he  called  me,  and  after 
ward  wrote  his  last  letter  to  his  wife.  He  then  named 
to  me  the  prices  of  some  articles  for  sale,  and  cautioned 
me  not  to  leave  Damaraland  until  the  hunters  went 
west. 

"  The  day  after  Typandeka's  visit  we  set  out ;  but 
first  I  tried  to  make  Andersson's  bed  in  the  cart  as 
comfortable  as  possible,  notwithstanding  which  he,  at 
the  least  jolting  of  the  vehicle,  would  cry  out  with  the 
agony  it  caused  him. 

"  Early  on  the  third  day,  as  I  was  assisting  him  in 
his  bed,  something  seemed  to  break  in  his  stomach,  and 
he  suddenly  grew  worse,  and  a  kind  of  green  slime  came 
running  from  his  mouth.  He  said,  '  Now,  Axel,  it  is 
all  over  with  me.'  He  then  requested  me  to  read  some 
Psalms  suitable  for  a  dying  person,  which  I  did  ;  and 
having  read  them  over  twice,  he  remarked, '  How  beau 
tiful  is  the  Swedish  Psalm-book  !'  and  continued, '  Greet 


DEATH    OF  ANDERSSON.  31 1 

Een,  and  tell  him  how  sorry  I  am  not  to  see  him  again  '; 
and  added,  '  I  am  now  satisfied  to  die,  I  suffer  so  fear 
fully.' 

"  The  next  day  he  appeared  a  little  better,  and  on 
the  following  one,  the  4th  of  July,  we  left  the  last  of  the 
Ovaquamyama  werfts,  early  in  the  morning,  but  were 
necessitated  to  make  two  trecks  to  enable  us  to  reach 
the  water.  In  the  afternoon,  Mr.  Andersson  became 
very  sick,  and  the  whole  of  that  night  and  the  following 
day  the  slime  aforementioned  was  constantly  running 
from  his  mouth  ;  his  weakness  had  now  reached  its  ex 
treme  point.  In  the  afternoon  he,  however,  asked  for 
a  piece  of  fried  liver,  which  I  immediately  prepared, 
and  some  of  which  he  ate,  but  scarcely  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  elapsed  ere  he  died. 

"  As  I  could  not  bury  Mr.  Andersson's  remains  in  a 
place  where  I  might  not  afterward  be  enabled  to  find 
them,  I  inspanned,  and  made  a  moonlight  treck ;  and 
next  day,  about  noon,  arrived  at  the  first  werft  of  the 
Ovaquambi.  Here  I  decided  on  making  my  master's 
grave  ;  but  the  chief  Nauma  would  not  consent  to  his 
remains  being  interred  so  near  to  him,  and  I  was  therefore 
compelled  to  retrace  my  way  back  about  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  ;  and  there,  between  two  trees  on  the  right  of  the 
road,  I  found  for  them  a  resting-place.  I  had  only  an 
axe  and  a  tin  dish  with  which  to  make  the  grave,  and 
this  was  in  hard,  clayey  soil. 

"  When  I  afterward  asked  Nauma  why  he  should 
order  me  to  bury  his  friend  so  far  away  in  the  bush,  he 
wanted  to  send  people  back  to  reopen  the  grave  ;  but 
this  I  of  course  would  not  permit." 

Thus  miserably  perished  in  the  flower  of  his   age 


312  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

(he  was  only  forty-two),  Charles  John  Andersson,  add 
ing  another  to  the  long  list  of  enterprising  men  who 
have  left  their  bones  to  whiten  in  the  African  wilder 
ness. 

On  its  being  known  at  Cape  Town  that  he  had  been 
thus  prematurely  cut  off,  the  newspapers  and  periodicals 
were  filled  with  panegyrics  on  the  poor  fellow,  and 
regrets  for  his  death  ;  of  which  the'following,  from  the 
"  Advertiser  and  Mail,"  is  a  fair  specimen  ;  and  I  quote  it 
the  rather  as  the  extract  contains  a  short  biographical 
sketch  of  Andersson's  early  life  : 

"  Year  by  year,  and  even  month  by  month,  it  is  our 
melancholy  task  to  chronicle  the  decease  of  men  who 
stood  conspicuous  among  the  benefactors  of  their 
country  and  fellow-countrymen  ;  and  who,  by  their 
departure,  leave  blanks  behind  them  which  their  suc 
cessors  find  it  difficult  to  replace.  Another  of  these  we 
have  to  announce  to-day  in  the  death  of  John  Charles 
Andersson,  one  of  the  bravest  of  explorers,  the  most 
enthusiastic  of  sportsmen,  the  most  observant  of  natural 
ists,  and  withal  as  gentle  and  modest  in  feeling  and 
demeanor  as  intrepid  and  fearless  when  surrounded 
with  the  most  appalling  dangers. 

"  Mr.  Andersson,  though  a  Swede  by  birth,  was 
half  an  Englishman  by  blood,  and  quite  a  South  African 
by  adoption.  From  his  father,  a  gentleman  connected 
with  some  of  the  best  families  in  England,  he  inherited 
a  passion  for  sport  and  for  nature,  even  in  her  wildest 
and  sternest  moods.  When  quite  a  youth,  for  family 
reasons  he  adopted  his  mother's  family  and  Swedish 
name  of  Andersson;  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  in 
1840,  he  visited  England,  and  there  met  with  Mr.  Gal- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH.  313 

ton,  who  was  then  organizing  an  expedition  for  the 
exploration  of  South-Western  Africa.  Arrangements 
were  made  by  which  he  was  to  accompany  Mr.  Galton 
on  this  adventurous  trip  ;  and  in  the  following  year  they 
reached  Cape  Town,  and  proceeded  together  to  Wal- 
wich  Bay,  whence  they  penetrated  through  Damara- 
land  to  the  then  utterly  unexplored  country  of  Ovampo- 
land  as  far  as  Ondonga — a  densely  populated  locality 
where  within  some  thirty  miles  there  are  something  like 
twenty  thousand  inhabitants. 

"  Of  this  journey,  a  most  graphic  and  interesting 
account  was  soon  afterward  published  by  Mr.  Galton, 
in  a  work  which  at  once  stamped  that  gentleman  as 
one  of  the  most  skilful  of  travellers  and  explorers. 
After  their  return,  while  Mr.  Galton  proceeded  to  Eng 
land,  Mr.  Andersson  set  about  organizing,  in  1851  or 
1852,  an  independent  expedition  of  his  own  to  Lake 
Ngami.  In  this  he  succeeded  admirably,  reached  the 
Lake,  and  penetrated  a  considerable  distance  to  the 
northward  of  it.  The  results  of  his  observations  and 
explorations  on  that  expedition,  as  well  as  the  previous 
one,  he  published  in  his  well-known  and  admirable 
volume  entitled  '  Lake  Ngami,'  which  was  prepared 
under  his  own  personal  superintendence  in  London, 
1856,  and  which  attracted  the  attention  and  secured  the 
applause  of  the  most  distinguished  literary  and  scientific 
authorities  at  home,  from  the  '  Athenaeum '  to  the 
'  Quarterly  Review.' 

"  We  well  remember  our  first  meeting  with  him, 
then  in  London,  in  Bloomsbury  Square,  near  the  Brit 
ish  Museum,  and  the  hearty  welcome  he  met  with  from 
the  Museum  authorities,  who  knew  so  well  how  to 


3  14  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

appreciate  the  rich  and  abundant  stores  of  specimens 
he  had  brought  home  with  him  from  the  wilds  of 
Africa. 

"  In  the  following  year  he  returned  to  the  Cape,  and 
accepted  an  appointment  as  superintendent  of  the 
mining  operations  of  the  Walwich  Bay  Mining  Com 
pany.  These  proving  unsuccessful,  the  engagement 
was  soon  broken  off,  and  Mr.  Andersson,  his  passion  for 
travel  and  adventure  still  strong  upon  him,  resolved  on 
another  expedition  into  the  Interior.  His  friend,  Mr. 
Green,  having  failed  in  an  attempt  to  reach  the  Cunene 
— the  boundary  river  between  Ovampoland  and  the 
Portuguese  possessions — he  determined  to  repeat  the 
effort,  and  to  trace  the  river  to  its  supposed  source  east 
ward  toward  Lake  Ngami.  Instead  of  the  Cunene,  he 
struck  upon  the  Okavango,  a  river  flowing  eastward ; 
and  here  it  was  he  encountered  a  ferocious  rhinoceros, 
which  thrust  its  horn  into  his  thigh,  inflicting  a  gashing 
wound,  which  kept  him  months  a  helpless  cripple  in  his 
tent.  On  his  return  to  Otjimbingue  he  wrote  an 
account  of  his  journey,  which  was  soon  afterward  pub 
lished  in  a  handsome  and  most  interesting  volume, 
entitled  '  The  Okavango.'  Shortly  after  this  he  arrived 
in  Cape  Town,  and  in  1861  married  the  sister  of  Mr. 
Atchison,  the  Secretary  of  the  Post  Office,  and  with  her 
proceeded  to  Otjimbingue,  in  Damaraland,  where  he 
had  accumulated  a  considerable  amount  of  property, 
and  where  he  intended  settling  down  in  lucrative  trade, 
supplying  the  elephant-hunters  with  the  stores  they 
required,  and  forwarding  cattle  and  ivory  to  Cape  Town 
in  return.  For  some  time  this  went  on  successfully, 
and  large  herds  of  cattle  were  sent  down  to  Namaqua- 


ORNITHOLOGICAL  STUDIES.  315 

land,  and  across  the  Orange  river.  Then  came  the 
unfortunate  and  miserable  war  between  the  Damaras 
and  Namaquas,  in  which  Mr.  Andersson  felt  that  the 
latter  were  the  assailants,  and  in  the  wrong ;  and  living 
as  he  did  among  the  Damaras,  with  all  the  chivalry  of 
his  nature,  he  devoted  himself  to  their  cause,  and  find 
ing  them  to  be  cowards  as  they  were,  he  himself  became 
their  chief  and  leader  in  the  war.  The  natural  result 
was  embittered  hostility  against  him  by  the  Namaquas; 
so  that  the  herds  of  cattle  which  he  was  then  forward 
ing  through  their  country  to  the  colony  were  stopped, 
seized,  and  confiscated.  This  was  heavy  loss  enough, 
but  worse  followed. 

"  In  an  attack  by  the  Namaquas  upon  his  own  sta 
tion  of  Otjimbingue  he  led  the  repelling  party ;  and  in 
the  heat  of  the  conflict  found  himself  deserted  by  the 
cowards  for  whom  he  had  ventured  all.  He  was  shot 
down  by  a  bullet,  which  smashed  his  leg,  and  it  was 
almost  by  a  miracle  that  he  escaped  with  his  life.  By 
the  careful  attention  of  his  devoted  wife,  and  the  mis 
sionaries,  and  though  last,  not  least,  Mr.  Baines,  the 
artist,  who  happened  to  be  then  at  Otjimbingue,  he 
survived  this  wound  ;  but  when  he  returned  some  nine 
months  afterward  to  Cape  Town,  it  was  only  to  find 
himself  pronounced,  by  the  surgeons  whom  he  consulted, 
a  cripple  for  life.  During  his  long  stay  as  an  invalid 
here,  at  the  residence  of  his  brother-in-law,  he  devoted 
the  weary  hours  to  the  composition  of  a  work  which  he 
fondly  hoped  would  prove  the  crowning  triumph  of  his 
career.  This  was  an  elaborate  and  scientific  description 
of  the  Birds  of  South-West  Africa,  the  materials  for 
which  in  his  possession  were  of  the  richest  and  most 


3l6  NOTES   OF  TRAVEL. 

extensive  character.  His  collection  of  birds— of  which 
duplicates  and  triplicates  were  sent  to  the  museums  at 
home — was  exceedingly  varied  ;  the  colored  illustra 
tions  of  them,  prepared  by  his  friend  Mr.  Baines  and 
himself,  in  Damaraland,  were  very  superb,  and  as  they 
were  then  exhibited  at  the  Public  Library  (and  may 
still  be  seen  there)  attracted  the  admiration  of  every 
one  ;  while  his  MS.  descriptions  of  them  extended  over 
very  many  volumes.  Arrangements  were  made  with 
Messrs.  Day  and  Son,  of  London,  to  have  the  work 
published  in  the  first  style  of  art  at  a  cost  of  ^"3,000, 
and  a  large  number  of  subscribers  were  found  over  the 
colony  to  make  up  the  guarantee  required  by  the  pub 
lishers. 

"  But,  in  the  meantime,  the  energetic  traveller, 
though  a  cripple  in  person,  and  by  that  disastrous 
Damara  war  utterly  ruindd  in  property,  lost  not  a  jot 
of  effort  or  enterprise.  Accordingly,  in  May  oT  1866  he 
left  Cape  Town  and  proceeded  to  Damara  once  more. 
His  first  ventures  in  trade  were  successful ;  but  his  ill- 
luck  still  attended  him,  for  the  stores  of  ivory,  feathers, 
etc.,  which  from  the  interior  he  had  sent  down  to  Wal- 
wich  Bay  were  seized  by  Namaqua  marauders  and  car 
ried  away.  His  next  determination  was  to  proceed 
northward  through  Ovampoland,  and  open  up  a  trade 
between  the  white  hunters  of  the  south  and  the  Portu 
guese  possessions  to  the  north  of  the  Cunene".  Mr. 
Smuts,  who  is  now  in  Cape  Town,  informs  us  that  when 
he  last  saw  Mr.  Andersson  it  was  at  Ondonga,  and  that 
then  he  seemed  in  miserable  health,  but  still  bent  upon 
his  northward  venture.  That  was  in  May  of  last  year. 
How  he  fared  since  then,  and  until  he  met  his  melan- 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT  FOR  SERVICES.  317 

choly  fate  in  July,  is  touchingly  told  in  the  tale  forwarded 
by  his  faithful  Swedish  attendant  to  Mr.  Frederick  Green, 
which  reached  Cape  Town  only  yesterday,  and  which 
will  be  found  elsewhere  in  our  columns  to-day. 

"  And  thus  has  poor  Andersson  gone,  and  left  a  de 
voted  wife  and  four  helpless  children  to  lament  their 
irreparable  loss.  But  his  name  will  long  be  remembered. 
It  is  marked  ineffaceably  on  the  map  of  Africa.  What 
Livingstone  has  achieved  for  the  East  Coast,  that  has 
Charles  J.  Andersson  done  for  the  West ;  and  his  name 
and  fame  will  be  ranked  with  those  of  the  Bruces  and 
Parkes  of  earlier  days,  and  the  Livingstones,  Spekes, 
Burtons,  and  Bakers  of  our  own  time." 

In  Sweden,  his  native  country,  his  sad  fate  was 
greatly  deplored,  not  only  by  his  numerous  friends  and 
acquaintances,  but  by  the  public  generally,  as  is  to 
be  inferred  from  articles  that  appeared  in  the  press 
overflowing  with  his  praises,  and  laments  for  his  un 
timely  end. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  remark  that  Andersson,  as 
an  explorer  in  unknown  lands,  stood  high  in  the  esti 
mation  of  the  scientific  world  ;  for  though  his  discoveries, 
as  compared  with  those  of  some  others,  may  sink,  in  a 
degree  at  least,  into  insignificance,  they  were  still  con 
siderable,  and  as  such  were  recognized  by  several  learned 
bodies  ;  among  the  rest  by  the  Royal  Geographical  So 
ciety  of  London,  which  presented  him  with  a  valuable 
testimonial,  and  by  the  University  of  Lund,  in  Sweden, 
where  he  graduated,  which  conferred  on  him  the  dignity 
of  Doctor  of  Philosophy  —  "  a  fitting  acknowledgment 
for  the  services  rendered  to  the  cause  of  civilization  and 
science."  But  the  diploma,  unfortunately,  did  not 


3l8  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 

arrive  in  Africa  until  after  Andersson  had  passed  be 
yond  the  reach  of  earthly  distinctions, 

It  may  be  proper  to  add  that  those  in  Sweden  who 
held  Andersson  dear  have  caused  a  simple  marble  tab 
let  to  be  placed  in  the  parish  church  of  Tunheim  (near 
the  town  of  Wenersborg),  with  an  inscription  in  Swed 
ish,  which,  translated,  reads  thus  : 


of 
CHARLES  JOHN   ANDERSSON, 

THE  AFRICAN  TRA  VELLER, 

BORN  IN  WERMELAND  (SWEDEN),  1827, 

DIED  IN  THE  OVAMPO  WILDERNESS  (SOUTH  AFRICA),  1867. 


"  During  life  he  feared  God, 
And,  dying,  trusted  in  His  mercy." 


THE  END. 


VALUABLE    BOOKS 

PUBLISHED  BY 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS, 

4th  Ave.  and  23d  St.,  New  York. 


I.  Tent  Life  in  Siberia.    ADVENTURES  AMONG  THE  KORAKS  AND 

OTIIKR  TRIBES  IN  KAMCHATKA  AND  NORTHERN  ASIA.    Fifth  Edition.    12mo, 

cloth  extra $2  00 

"  We  strongly  recommend  this  book  as  one  of  the  most  entertaining  volumes  of  travel  that  hare 
appeared  for  some  years."— London  Athenaeum. 

II.  Travels  in  Portugal.  By  JOHN  LATOUCHE.  With  Photographic 

Illustrations.    Octavo,  cloth  extra 3  50 

"A  delightfully  written  book,  as  fair  as  it  is  pleasant.    *    *    »    Entertaining,  fresh,  and  as  full 
of  wit  as  oi  valuable  information. "—London  Spectator. 

HI.  The  Abode  of  Snow.  A  TOUR  THROUGH  CHINESE  TIBET,  THE 
IMDIAN  CAUCASUS,  AND  THE  UPPER  VALLEYS  OF  THE  HIMALAYA.  By 
ANDREW  WILSON.  Square  octavo,  cloth  extra,  with  map 2  25 

"  There  is  not  a  page  in  this  volume  which  will  not  repay  perusal.    »    *    «    The  author  describe* 
all  he  meets  with  on  his  way  with  inimitable  spirit."— London  Athenaeum. 

IV.  The  Life  and  Journals  of  John  J.  Audubon,  the  Natu- 

RALIST.      Comprising    Narratives  of   his    Expeditious  in    the  American 
Forests,  Ac.    12mo,  cloth  extra,  with  Portrait 2  25 

"  It  is  a  grand  story  of  a  grand  life  ;    more  instructive  than  a  sermon  ;  more  romantic  than  ft 
romance."— Harpers'  Magazine. 

V.  Notes  on  England  and  Italy.  By  Mrs.  NATHANIEL  HAWTHORNE 

(wife  of  the  Novelist).    Third  edition.    12mo,  cloth 200 

Illustrated  Edition,  with  12  Steel  Plates.    Octavo,  cloth  extra,  gilt  edges.. . .        5  00 
"One  of  the  most  delightful  books  of  travel  that  have  come  under  our  notice."— Worcester  Spy. 
"  The  grace  and  tenderness  of  the  author  of  the  '  Scarlet  Letter '  is  discernable  in  its  pages." — 
London  Saturday  Review. 

VI.  Recollections  of  a  Tour  Made  in  Scotland  in  1803.    By 

DOROTHY  WORDSWOUTH  {Sister  of  the  Poet).    Edited  by  PBINCIPAL  SHAIHP, 
LL.D.     12mo,  cloth  extra 2  50 

"  The  volume  glistens  with  charming  passages,  showing  how  rich  in  '  Wordsworthian '  fancy  waa 
this  modest  sister." — London  Athenaeum. 

VTI.  Bayard  Taylor's  Travel.  Complete  in  10  Vols.  Containing 
works  upon  Africa;  Egypt;  Iceland;  California  and  Mexico;  Greece  and 
Russia;  India,  China  and  Japan;  Palestine,  Asia  Minor,  Sicily  and  Spain; 

Sweden,  Denmark  and  Lapland;  Europe,  &c.,  Ac.    Per  volume 150 

Or,  11  Volumes,  neatly  put  up  in  box 16  50 

"  There  is  no  romance  to  us  quite  equal  to  one  of  Bayard  Taylor's  books  of  travel." — Hartford 
Republican. 

t^~  PUTNAM'S  NEW  CATALOGUE  will  be  forwarded  to  any  address 
on  receipt  of  stamp. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


PEC'P 


LD  21-100m-7,'33 


321735 


K— r~* 

•7 


UNIVERSITY  OF- CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


